Over the past three years, Egypt\u2019s foreign trade map has undergone radical changes amid the continuing war in the Gaza Strip, the military conflict in Sudan, Libya\u2019s political and military divisions, and disruptions to Red Sea shipping caused by Houthi attacks, alongside the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war.<\/p>\n
Foreign trade<\/a> data reveal divergent trends in trade between Egypt and countries affected by armed conflict, alongside changes in export and import volumes, rising exports of some commodities, and altered transport routes, particularly for construction materials, cement, medicines, food, wheat and natural gas.<\/p>\n The outbreak of war<\/a> in Sudan on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, cast a shadow over trade between Cairo and Khartoum. Its value<\/a> fell to around $1.2 billion in 2024, compared with $1.4 billion in 2023.<\/p>\n Cairo\u2019s exports<\/a> to Khartoum fell to $866.2 million in 2024, from $989 million in 2023, but rose again in 2025, reaching<\/a> $957.1 million. They then totalled<\/a> $577.1 million in the first half of 2026. Milling products and flour topped the list of exported goods at $218 million, followed by sugar at $84 million, while iron, steel and construction materials exports were valued<\/a> at $144 million during the first eight months of 2026.<\/p>\n Egyptian imports<\/a> from Sudan include live animals worth $129 million, oilseeds worth about $87 million, cotton worth $52 million, and pearls, precious stones and jewellery worth $17 million, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). Overland trade relies on the Argeen and Qustul crossings, while pharmaceutical exports<\/a> have shifted to the sea route through the Red Sea to Port Sudan.<\/p>\n