Egypt Ships 156,000 Tonnes of Food in a Week as Saudi Arabia Leads Export Markets
Egypt exported about 156,000 tonnes of food during September 26–October 2, with Saudi Arabia the largest destination. Regulators also inspected imports and domestic facilities, detaining non-compliant shipments and seizing unsafe or adulterated food.
Exports reach 150 markets
Egypt exported about 156,000 tonnes of food between September 26 and October 2, according to the National Food Safety Authority’s 37th weekly report of 2026. Youm7 reported that the total comprised 3,810 consignments shipped by 1,340 exporting companies and covered about 710 product categories.
Saudi Arabia was the leading destination, followed by Sudan, Italy, the United States and Brazil. Egyptian food products reached 150 countries during the week. The authority also issued 1,300 export health certificates, while its agricultural export department granted 749 permits to 601 companies after conducting 540 inspection and examination visits.
Damietta handled the largest number of outgoing food consignments, at 588. Safaga followed with 576 and Alexandria with 556. The distribution indicates that exporters are using both Mediterranean and Red Sea gateways to serve markets in Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Gulf.
Sweet potatoes and strawberries lead produce shipments
Vegetable exports totaled about 36,000 tonnes across 32 product types. Sweet potatoes led the category with 10,000 tonnes, followed by onions at 8,000 tonnes and beans at 5,000 tonnes. Together, those three products represented 23,000 tonnes, or nearly two-thirds of reported vegetable shipments.
Fruit exports reached about 27,000 tonnes across 23 types. Strawberries ranked first at 9,000 tonnes, ahead of pomegranates at 7,000 tonnes and mangoes at 6,000 tonnes. These three fruits accounted for 22,000 tonnes of the weekly fruit total, making them the principal contributors to Egypt’s fresh-fruit export volume.
The exported range also included tubers, preserved fruit and vegetable preparations, flour and cereal products, according to Misr El Gedida. Four new facilities were registered during the period, while the authority continued inspections intended to bring food businesses into compliance with national safety requirements.
Import checks and domestic enforcement intensify
Egypt received 1,544 food consignments totaling about 120,000 tonnes for 765 importing companies, Banker.news reported. The cargo included oils, wheat, soybeans and fresh apples. Indonesia was the leading supplier, followed by Ukraine, the United States, China and India, among 81 countries shipping food to Egypt. Alexandria received 510 consignments, Port Said 225 and Damietta 212.
Regulators detained 122 incoming consignments and kept another 32 laboratory-rejected consignments under detention. Four rejected consignments were re-exported. Authorities also released 984 consignments provisionally under detention and processed 340 through the rapid-release system, illustrating the balance between port clearance and food-safety controls.
Domestic enforcement covered 216 districts through 30 regional branches. Inspectors completed 1,124 missions and visited 3,292 food facilities. In Beni Suef, officials seized 996 kilograms of materials and finished product at an unlicensed facility accused of coloring dough pellets to resemble black pepper and using subsidized flour. Other operations found substantial volumes of spoiled or untraceable food, including 18 tonnes and 220 kilograms in Kafr El Sheikh and 17 tonnes and 228 kilograms of cheese stored under unsuitable conditions in Fayoum. The findings show that Egypt’s export expansion is proceeding alongside stricter scrutiny of imports, storage and domestic food manufacturing.
