The council will participate in the 140th Canton Fair in Guangzhou from 23 to 27 October, marking a return to a joint Egyptian pavilion after several years. The surge has made China one of the sector’s 10 largest export markets. It follows a broader increase in overall Egyptian exports to China, which reached $840.8 million in the first half of 2026.
China entered the sector’s 10 largest export markets, the council said, citing data from the General Organization for Export and Import Control.
Shipments reached $287.13 million in January-August, compared with $36.89 million a year earlier, according to figures released by the council on 29 September. The sector’s 10 largest markets accounted for 56 percent of its total global exports.
Overall, the sector’s exports rose 30.2 percent to about $8.25 billion during the period, up from $6.34 billion a year earlier. Chemicals and fertilizers accounted for about 24 percent of Egypt’s non-oil exports, the council said.
Council Chairman Khaled Abu El-Makarem said China was becoming increasingly important to Egyptian exports. He described the 678 percent increase as “an important development” in the sector’s export performance, pointing to opportunities to build on the growth.
The pavilion will bring together producers of glass tableware, decorative glass, and plastic household goods, Abu El-Makarem said. The council is organizing the participation with the Egyptian General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences and the Egyptian trade office in Beijing.
The council aims to help member companies meet importers and distributors, assess Chinese demand, and expand their customer base. It did not disclose the number or names of participating companies or the pavilion’s size.
The 140th Canton Fair runs from 15 October to 4 November in three phases. Organizers expect more than 30,000 enterprises across about 1.55 million square metres. Egypt’s pavilion falls in the second phase, which covers housewares, gifts, furniture, and building materials.
On 1 May, China fully exempted Egyptian exports from tariffs, along with goods from 52 other African countries.
Egyptian exporters had called for the move. Producers told Al-Ahram Weekly in November 2025 that the exemption would create significant opportunities to expand in the Chinese market.
Other export councils have also reported gains. Egypt’s food exports hit a record $4.5 billion in the first seven months of 2026, up 10.7 percent, the Food Export Council said in August.
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a 48-hour visit to Egypt on 1-2 September, marking 70 years of diplomatic ties. The two presidents agreed to launch a third phase of the Suez Canal industrial zone.
Chinese firms have invested largely through the Suez Canal Economic Zone, where Egypt expanded the China-TEDA zone in August 2025.
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