CAIRO – 15 December 2020: Egypt’s exports to Japan hiked 76 percent during the first five months of 2020, registering $176 million, compared to $100 million during the same months of 2019, according to Minister of Trade and Industry Nevein Gamea.
Gamea added Tuesday that Egypt’s imports from Japan also rose 18 percent to $443 million, compared to $375 million during January-May period of 2019.
She pointed out that the most important Egyptian exports to the Japanese market were carpets, ready-made clothes, electrical appliances, and dried and preserved agricultural crops.
As for imports, she noted that the most important imports were cars, appliances, electrical machinery, plastics, and articles of rubber.
This came during Gamea’s meeting with Ambassador of Japan to Egypt Noke Masaki, to discuss ways to develop the economic relations between the two countries, especially the sectors of industry, trade and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The minister affirmed the government's keenness to enhance joint cooperation with Japan in various economic sectors, especially in the industrial sector, in order to benefit from the great experiences and advanced Japanese technologies in this regard.
She pointed to the importance of the Japanese auto industry's participation in the current trend adopted by the Egyptian government to expand the use of vehicles powered by natural gas.
“Egypt and Japan have historical bilateral relations based on a long history of joint cooperation in various fields and at all levels,” Gamea stated, noting that the current period is witnessing an unprecedented political momentum between the two countries, which would transfer bilateral cooperation relations in the political, economic and scientific fields to distinct levels.
She added that the Egyptian government aims to deepen and settle the auto industry in the Egyptian market and to benefit from the great Japanese expertise and technologies in this regard, especially since the Japanese product enjoys great confidence among the Egyptian citizen.
She also indicated that the government is keen to attract more Japanese companies to work in the Egyptian market, especially the auto industry, as it is one of the most important investment destinations in the Middle East and Africa.
The talks also dealt with the importance of strengthening trade relations between the two countries, especially in light of the ingredients and resources that characterize Egypt and Japan.
For his part, Japanese ambassador to Cairo, Noki Masaki, affirmed his country's keenness to strengthen bilateral relations with Egypt, as it is a pivotal country in the Middle East and Africa.
He stressed the importance of activating joint work between the two sides to develop economic relations between Cairo and Tokyo, in order to rise to the level of the historical political relations that bind the two countries.
The Japanese ambassador invited the Egyptian government and business circles in Egypt to participate in the activities of the Expo 2025, which will be held in the Japanese city of Osaka, which is expected to attract more than 28 million visitors, including 3.5 million from outside Japan.
He said that the exhibition represents an excellent opportunity for Egyptian businessmen to meet with their counterparts from all over the world and to agree to establish more joint investment projects.
Tue, Dec. 15, 2020
