Baghdad: As part of Egypt’s efforts to strengthen economic and trade ties with Iraq, Commercial Counsellor Samir Qorshi, Head of the Egyptian Commercial Office in Baghdad, met with senior Iraqi officials to boost bilateral industrial and trade cooperation.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Qorshi met with Adel Akkab, Chairman of the Iraqi Federation of Industries, to discuss expanding joint industrial cooperation and promoting bilateral initiatives for partnership and expertise exchange. Akkab highlighted the need to strengthen ties with Egypt and confirmed the federation’s support for advancing industrial cooperation to benefit both sides.
Qorshi also met Mustafa Nizar Al-Ani, Director General of Iraq’s General Company for Exhibitions and Commercial Services, to discuss enhancing exhibition cooperation, especially specialised trade fairs in both countries. The talks aimed to stimulate trade, encourage investment, and ease Egyptian companies’ entry into Iraq. Al-Ani expressed the company’s willingness to collaborate closely with the Egyptian Commercial Office in organizing specialized exhibitions, providing necessary facilities to ensure success, and advancing shared economic goals.
Minister Plenipotentiary for Commercial Affairs Dr. Abdel Aziz El-Sherif, First Undersecretary of the Ministry and Head of Egypt’s Commercial Service, expressed optimism for deepening trade ties with Iraq. He noted Egypt’s exports to Iraq reached $815.9 million in 2024, up 18.2% from 2023, while imports from Iraq rose 56.1% to $284.3 million, creating a $531.6 million trade surplus for Egypt. Total trade between Egypt and Iraq was about $1.1 billion in 2024, up 26.1% year-on-year.
Egyptian exports to Iraq include cables, TV screens, plastics, fruit, vegetables, essential oils, furniture, iron and steel products, and pharmaceuticals. Petroleum and petroleum products lead Egypt’s imports from Iraq. Iraqi investments in Egypt reached $553.6 million by February 2025, with the industrial sector leading by value and the services sector having the most projects.