
Russian exports to Egypt increased by 15.6% year-on-year to $5.9 billion in the first seven months of 2026, according to Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Roman Chekushov, who discussed trade streamlining and industrial zone development during meetings with Egyptian officials.
AI-generated summary
Discussions focused on streamlining trade procedures, electronic document management, logistics routes, and localization of Russian industrial technologies in Egypt.
MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. Russian exports to Egypt grew by 15.6% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2026, reaching $5.9 billion, Roman Chekushov, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, announced.
The Russian deputy minister held a meeting with Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid, to discuss streamlining mutual trade procedures, including the use of electronic document management in cross-border operations and the development of new logistics routes.
"In January-July 2026, exports from Russia to Egypt totaled $5.9 billion, marking a 15.6% increase compared to the same period last year. I am confident that concluding a free trade agreement will lead to a further intensification of not only Russian exports but also Egyptian imports," the ministry quoted Chekushov as saying following his working visit to Egypt.
The deputy minister also held talks with Egyptian Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem to discuss further opportunities for localizing Russian companies in Egypt.
"We see that Russian industrial technologies are in demand abroad, particularly in Egypt. Moreover, the range of sectors is very broad: mechanical engineering, helicopter manufacturing, the automotive industry, medical equipment, packaging, industrial robots, and many others. This demonstrates their high competitiveness," Chekushov emphasized.
The deputy minister also visited the site of the Russian Industrial Zone, where he met with Moustafa Shaikhon, Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone Authority, to introduce the first potential residents of the zone.
"Priority product categories [for manufacturing within the industrial zone - TASS note] include construction and finishing materials, thermal insulation, powder coatings, a wide range of electrical equipment - such as transformers and switchgear - as well as HVAC systems, machine tools, medical and pharmaceutical products, and agricultural machinery," Chekushov noted.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
A free trade agreement between Russia and Egypt will be concluded, leading to further intensification of trade.
Possible · Within months

The MOEX Index rose 0.53% to 2,312.27 points and the RTS Index edged up 0.13% to 863.08 points on Wednesday, driven by rising oil prices and geopolitical news. Lukoil shares gained 2.4% on foreign investor interest in overseas assets, while Credit Bank of Moscow shares fell 5.2% after trimming treasury stock. Analysts forecast the MOEX Index to trade between 2,250-2,370 points on Thursday, with the yuan expected to range between 12.4-12.8 rubles per yuan.

According to the Ministry of Economic Development, the volume of natural gas production in Russia in 2026 will be 683.1 billion cubic meters. m - 5.3 billion less than forecast, but higher than the level of 2025. LNG exports will rise to 35 million tons, 4.7 million more than in 2025, but 5.3 million below expectations. The forecasts will form the basis for budget adjustments until 2029.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with the government, asked the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to more clearly explain to citizens the difference between the digital ruble and traditional non-cash payment, noting that for an ordinary person the difference is not obvious. The digital ruble, available from September 1 in 12 largest banks, is stored as a unique code on the Bank of Russia platform and is its direct obligation.

The head of the financial monitoring and currency control service of the Central Bank, Bogdan Shablya, said at the International Banking Forum that restrictions on the export of cash rubles and gold from Russia to the EAEU countries, introduced on April 1, will be tightened in the near future, since practice shows the need to establish greater order in this direction.

The Bank of Russia, in a summary of the key rate discussion, noted that oil prices exceeded the July forecast due to restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. If the conflict drags on, the regulator does not rule out a further rise in prices in 2026.

In the first quarter of the 2026/27 agricultural year, Russian grain exports will decline sharply. According to ProZerno forecasts, wheat shipments will fall by 2.2 times due to attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on transshipment facilities in Novorossiysk, which made it difficult to export to Turkey.