Dubai – Egypt and Sudan are witnessing escalating commercial momentum during 2026, fueled by notable growth in Egyptian exports and increased goods movement between the two nations. This trend reflects deep economic ties and institutional trust, signaling opportunities to transition from traditional exchange to integrated productive partnerships. Data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics reveals that total non-petroleum trade reached $1.285 billion from January to September 2026, up from $984.9 million in the same period last year, marking a 30.5% increase.
Export Surge Drives Bilateral Growth
Egyptian exports to Sudan emerged as the primary driver, totaling $957.6 million compared to $723.6 million in 2025, a rise of $234 million or 32.3%. Conversely, Egyptian imports from Sudan grew from $261.3 million to $327.5 million, an increase of $66.2 million or 25.3%. Consequently, the trade surplus in favor of Egypt expanded to $630.1 million, up from $462.3 million previously, representing a 36.3% jump. Egyptian exports now cover Sudanese imports nearly 2.9 times, highlighting significant asymmetry influenced by declines in cattle, sesame, and cotton shipments.
Sudan Ranks Second in African Markets
The data positions Sudan as Africa’s second-largest market for Egyptian exports after Libya during this period. Out of $6.356 billion in total non-petroleum exports to Africa, Sudan accounted for 15.1%, meaning roughly one dollar out of every 6.6 dollars exported to the continent goes to Sudan. This underscores Sudan’s substantial weight in Egypt’s continental trade strategy. Meanwhile, activity remained strong with North African markets including Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Diverse Exports vs Concentrated Imports
Egypt exported 1,009 product varieties to Sudan, while importing only 37. The six main Sudanese export items—gold, camels, watermelon seeds, sesame, cotton, and cattle—accounted for 99% of their total shipments. Gold dominated at $171.6 million, holding 52% of Sudanese exports to Egypt. Camels followed at $49.6 million (15%), watermelon seeds at $40.6 million (12%), sesame at $35.5 million (11%), cotton at $26.3 million (8%), and cattle at $1.7 million (1%). These figures reflect war impacts but also show vast potential for diversification.
Economic Outlook and Strategic Cooperation
Egyptian exports to Sudan featured diverse categories: food products led at $213.5 million (22.3%), followed by iron and steel at $149.4 million (15.6%), fertilizers at $93.9 million (9.8%), plastics at $75.9 million, electrical machinery at $61.6 million, and chemical products at $53.6 million. If current trends continue, Egyptian exports could reach $1.277 billion by year-end, with imports at $436.7 million, potentially widening the surplus to $750–800 million. Economist Menjed Ibrahim Youssef emphasized that these positive figures serve as a foundation for deeper economic cooperation models rather than mere statistical increases.
This story was produced in the newsroom from the disclosed sources named above.
