Cairo – Mubasher: Trade exchange between Egypt and its foreign partners rose by 11.32% year-on-year during the first half of fiscal year 2018/2019, according to data released by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) on Thursday.

The North African state’s international trade increased to $47.7 billion in the six-month period ended 31 December, compared to $42.85 billion in the year-ago period, CBE added.

Egypt’s imports registered $33.5 billion in H1 FY18/19 from $30.8 billion in the same period a year earlier, while the most populous Arab nation’s exports stood at $14.2 billion, compared to $12 billion in H1 FY17/18.

China topped Egypt’s trade partners with $3.3 billion, including $3.1 billion in imports and $254.6 million in exports, followed by the US with total trade exchange valued at $3 billion, including imports of $1.7 billion and exports worth $1.3 billion.

The UAE came in at the third place with trade exchange worth $2.79 billion, of which $1.7 billion imports and $1 billion exports.

In addition, Egypt’s trade exchange with Italy, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and UK stood at $2.5 billion, $2.5 billion, $2.1 billion, and $2.02 billion, respectively.