The EU is Egypt’s primary trading partner, accounting for approximately 25% of your total trade in 2024. Our bilateral trade in goods has increased nearly fourfold since the Association Agreement entered into force in 2024 and the EU is your top trade partner. Total bilateral trade in goods in 2024 was € 32.5 bn. Egypt exports to the EU € 12.6 bn worth of goods (agrifood products, minerals, fertilisers, electrical machinery, plastics, steel and aluminium); You export more to us than to any other of your partners in the world.

In particular, the agrifood sector continues to be a success story for Egypt and confirms that Egypt is an important partner in agrifood products. In 2024, exports of fruits and vegetables (oranges, strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes) increased substantially (€ 2.3bn) and for the first time the EU has a trade deficit with Egypt in that sector (-€300 million). Considering that the EU has probably the strictest agrifood rules in the world, this shows the important progress that Egypt has done in this sector and is able to meet EU quality standards and phytosanitary requirements. The relaunch of exports of wild fish at the beginning of the year is another recent success. On the other hand, EU exports to Egypt (€ 19.9 bn in 2024) primarily consist of industrial inputs, machinery, chemicals and pharmaceutical products – these are all items Egypt wants to develop its industry and economy.

The EU and Egypt signed a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership (SCP) in March 2024, elevating bilateral relations to a new level and acknowledging a common interest in modernisation of the bilateral trade and investment relations. The EU-Egypt Investment Conference held in June 2024, the first deliverable after the adoption of the SCP, was a major step to enhance our cooperation across key areas of mutual interest (e.g. renewable energy, circular economy, green transition). It brought together more than 2,000 enterprises (at least 600 from the EU) to explore investment opportunities in Egypt. During the conference, 35 agreements and MoUs were signed, including 29 worth EUR 49 billion with EU-affiliated companies, and 6 worth EUR 18.7 billion with other alliances.