Egypt-Israel Trade Surges in June Amid First-Half Dip

Bilateral trade between Egypt and Israel experienced a significant surge in June 2026, with Egyptian exports to Israel jumping 147.9% and imports from Israel rising 127.1% compared to June 2025, according to Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Egyptian exports to Israel reached approximately $38.9 million in June, up from $15.7 million the previous year, while imports from Israel climbed to $266.4 million from $117.3 million.

Despite the June spike, the cumulative data for the first six months of 2026 presents a different picture. Egyptian exports to Israel increased by 24.3% to about $174.1 million, compared to $140.1 million in the same period of 2025. Conversely, Egyptian imports from Israel decreased by 3.7% to approximately $1.19 billion, down from $1.23 billion in the first half of last year. This resulted in a total trade volume of about $1.36 billion for the first half, a slight decrease from $1.37 billion in the first half of 2025, indicating a shift in trade composition favoring Egyptian exports.

In 2025, Egyptian exports to Israel were dominated by mineral products, construction materials, chemicals, machinery, electrical equipment, and plastics, alongside fruits, vegetables, paper, stone products, and cement. Imports from Israel were primarily composed of fuel and mineral products, with mineral fuel, oils, waxes, and bitumen accounting for $2.28 billion of the total $2.34 billion imported from Israel in 2025.

Official trade data excludes goods destined for the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are recorded under Egypt's trade with the Palestinian side. A logistics expert attributed the rise in imports partly to the demand from Egyptian factories for production inputs not fully met by the local market.

The June figures and first-half data underscore the continued importance of trade between Egypt and Israel, with energy remaining a key import component for Egypt, while Egyptian exports to Israel show greater product diversity.