China’s tariff cuts open market to Egyptian goods, CGTN says

Egyptian exports to China nearly tripled in the first half of 2026, as a tariff decision and closer political ties opened new opportunities for exporters.

China’s CGTN news channel linked the trade growth to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Egypt and described relations between the two countries as being at their strongest point. Official data cited by the channel shows that China has been Egypt’s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. Bilateral trade reached a record $20.79 billion in 2025.

Egypt mainly imports engineering equipment, textiles and construction materials from China. Its exports to the Chinese market consist largely of agricultural and food products. Frozen strawberries, beets, raw flax, natural dyes and natural calcium phosphate made up 46.1% of those exports.

The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics said Egyptian exports to China reached $840.8 million in the first half of 2026, up 199.8% from $280.5 million a year earlier. The increase followed China’s decision to remove tariffs, from May 1, on products from 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, including Egypt.

The policy is also influencing business plans. At an “Export to China” event in Cairo on Aug. 17, Chinese and Egyptian companies signed agreements worth nearly $170 million. A linen factory in Sadat City, which has invested $58 million and previously exported only to the European Union, is seeking Oeko-Tex certification and preparing to target China’s luxury home-textiles market. The company expects that move to raise its profit margin by 8 to 10 percentage points.

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Egyptian companies are paying closer attention to the demands of the Chinese market.