That dollar amount reflects a -3.3% decrease from $82.4 billion during 2018.
From 2021 to 2022, the total cost of Egyptian purchases of imported goods rose 8% compared to $73.8 billion.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, Egypt uses the Egyptian pound which depreciated by -7.8% against the US dollar since 2018 and diluted by -22.5% from 2021 to 2022. The weaker local currency in 2022 made Egypt’s imports paid for in stronger US dollars in 2022 relatively more expensive than in 2021 when converted starting from Egyptian pounds.
Domestically, the inflation rate for Egypt’s average consumer prices was 8.5% in 2022 up from 4.5% for 2021.
Best Egyptian Imports Suppliers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 57.7% of products imported into Egypt were supplied by exporters in: mainland China (14.3% of the Egyptian total), Saudi Arabia (8.6%), United States of America (7%), India (4.5%), Russia (4.3%), Kuwait (3.41%), Germany (3.39%), Türkiye (3.3%), Italy (2.7%), Brazil (2.2%), United Arab Emirates (2.1%) and France (2%).
From a continental perspective, over half (51.5%) of Egypt’s total imports by value were purchased from suppliers in Asian countries. European trade partners provided another 32.2% worth of overall imports purchased by Egypt.
Smaller percentages came from exporters in North America (7.8%), Latin America (5.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (2.4%), and Oceania (0.8%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Egypt’s population of 104.1 million people, its total $79.7 billion in 2022 imports translates to roughly $760 in average yearly product demand from every person in the northeast African country. That dollar statistic exceeds the average $700 per capita worth of imports in 2021.
Egypt’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Egypt’s import purchases during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Egypt.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$15.1 billion (18.9% of total imports)
- Cereals: $6.4 billion (8%)
- Machinery including computers: $5.8 billion (7.3%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $4.6 billion (5.8%)
- Iron, steel: $4.3 billion (5.4%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $4 billion (5.1%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $3.4 billion (4.3%)
- Vehicles: $2.9 billion (3.6%)
- Oil seeds: $2.5 billion (3.1%)
Egypt’s top 10 imports accounted for almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
The fastest-growing import categories for Egypt were mineral fuels including oil (up 44.8% from 2021), cereals (up 29.8%) led by rice, iron and steel (up 21.7%), then organic chemicals (up 20.3%).
The severest decliners were Egyptian imports of vehicles (down -41.6% from 2021) and electrical machinery equipment (down -17.1%).
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level.
Information presented below is from the more granular 4-digit HTS code perspective.
Applying the more detailed codes, Egypt spent the most on imported processed petroleum oils (7.8% of the Egyptian total), crude oil (5.5%), wheat (4.8%), petroleum gases (4.1%), medication mixes in dosage (3.7%), corn (3.1%), soya beans (2.7%), cars (2%), iron or steel scrap (1.9%), then ethylene polymers (1.6%).
Egypt’s Most Valuable Imported Mineral Fuels Including Oil
In 2022, Egyptian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related goods.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$6.2 billion (up 63% from 2021)
- Crude oil: $4.4 billion (up 17.7%)
- Petroleum gases: $3.2 billion (up 40.6%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $412.5 million (up 122.3%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $273.1 million (up 270.1%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $240 million (up 188.8%)
- Natural bitumen, asphalt, shale: $228.5 million (up 18.4%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $38.4 million (up 106.8%)
- Tar pitch, coke: $26.9 million (up 244.9%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $14.6 million (up 1604.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Egyptian purchases of asphalt or petroleum bitumen mixes (up 1,604%), petroleum oil residues (up 270.1%), then tar pitch or coke (up 244.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported mineral fuels-related goods among Egyptian businesses and consumers.
Egypt’s Most Valuable Imported Cereals
In 2022, Egyptian importers spent the most on the following subcategories of cereals.
- Wheat: US$3.8 billion (up 54.3% from 2021)
- Corn: $2.5 billion (up 3.7%)
- Rice: $100.3 million (up 79.9%)
- Buckwheat, millet, canary seed: $2.2 million (down -16.3%)
- Sorghum grain: $1.6 million (up 60.4%)
Among these import subcategories, Egyptian purchases of rice (up 79.9%), sorghum grain (up 60.4%), then wheat (up 54.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gain within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported cereals among Egyptian businesses and consumers.
Egypt’s Most Valuable Imported Machinery Including Computers
In 2022, Egyptian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$367.9 million (down -32.3% from 2021)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $335.8 million (up 9.2%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $321.3 million (up 14.7%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $296.6 million (down -15%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $296.5 million (down -19.7%)
- Connector/insulating parts: $281.4 million (up 99.4%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $269 million (down -20.2%)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $225.8 million (up 18.3%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $217.5 million (down -18.1%)
- Move/grade/scrape/boring machinery: $198.8 million (down -19.3%)
Among these import subcategories, Egyptian purchases of connector or insulating parts (up 99.4%), heavy machinery like bulldozers, excavators and road rollers (up 18.3%), then liquid pumps and elevators (up 14.7%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gain within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery including computers among Egyptian businesses and consumers.
Egypt’s Most Valuable Plastics Imports
In 2022, Egyptian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of plastics (both as materials and items made from plastics).
- Ethylene polymers: US$1.3 billion (up 31.2% from 2021)
- Propylene/olefin polymers: $786.6 million (up 11.2%)
- Vinyl chloride polymers: $440 million (up 24.4%)
- Polyacetal/ether/carbonates: $405.2 million (down -3.5%)
- Styrene polymers: $253.3 million (up 1.5%)
- Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips: $215.1 million (up 12.1%)
- Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips: $201.8 million (up 15.1%)
- Acrylic polymers: $173.1 million (up 18.5%)
- Miscellaneous plastic items: $143.5 million (down -7.9%)
- Amino-resins: $117.8 million (up 11.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Egyptian purchases of ethylene polymers (up 31.2%), vinyl chloride polymers (up 24.4%), then acrylic polymers (up 18.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of plastics-related imports among Egyptian businesses and consumers.
See also Egypt’s Top 10 Exports, Uganda’s Top 10 Exports, Somalia’s Top 10 Exports, Turkey’s Top Trading Partners and India’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook report on South Asia: Sri Lanka. Accessed on May 27, 2023
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 27, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 27, 2023
Wikipedia, Egypt. Accessed on May 27, 2023