By Mostafa Adel

Cairo – Mubasher: Egypt’s import value decreased by 5% year-over-year to $49.3 billion during July-February 2015/16 from $52, said a first-hand official at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

This downturn is ascribed to, the source added, the central bank’s restrictions over exported commodities in order to handle the nation’s foreign-currency shortage.

Before the January 25 Revolution in 2011, foreign currency reserves retreated from levels nearing $36 billion to $17.01 billion in April 2016.

In 2014/15, import value stood at $74.6 billion, compared with $75.3 billion a year earlier.