In a recent study, published today by the Centre for Information and Decision Support of the Egyptian Council of Ministers, I reviewed opportunities for strengthening trade relations between Egypt and the COMESA countries.

This comes in conjunction with Egypt's hosting of the 21st COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government.

According to official figures highlighted in the study, trade reached about $3 billion in 2020, equivalent to about 60 percent of the total value of Egyptian trade with the African continent during the same year, which recorded $5 billion.

Egypt's trade relations with the COMESA countries, whose membership includes 21 African countries and is one of Egypt's major trading partners in Africa, have achieved a trade surplus of approximately $1.4 billion in the period from 2015 to 2020.

The value of untapped export potential to these countries is about $1.8 billion by 2025, equivalent to about 1.8 percent of the target value of strengthening Egyptian exports.

Untapped export potential to COMESA countries also recorded 9 percent of Egypt's total untapped export opportunities by 2025.