Egypt’s non-petroleum exports saw a 16.5 percent drop in value during 2015 compared to the previous year, state news agency MENA said on Monday.

 

Last year, the exports generated $18.6 billion in revenue against $22.2 billion in 2014, MENA said, citing a report from Egypt's General Authority for Export and Import Control.

 

According to the report, non-oil exports from Egypt to Saudi Arabia diminished by 4 percent in 2015 compared to the year before.  

 

The kingdom remains at the top of the list of countries importing from Egypt, with a bill of $2.3 billion, followed by the U.S. and Turkey with bills amounting to $1.2 billion each.  

 

During the same period, the petrochemicals and fertilisers sector achieved the most exports at a value of $2.9 billion, the building materials sector came in second with some $2 billion worth of exports, while the food industry sector exported $2.6 billion worth of products.

 

Egypt’s exports of garments were down six percent in 2015 from 2014 to register at $1.4 billion.

 

Last November the state owned carrier EgyptAir suspended shipping of commercial cargo on passenger flights bound for New York and Canada, a decision based on recommendations by the U.S. transportation safety delegation in the aftermath of the Russian jet crash on 31 October.