The export value of leather manufactured in Egypt increased 25% year-on-year in 2023 to a total of USD 114 million, with export models predicting an even greater increase in 2024, according to the General Organization for Export and Import Control.

The vast majority of Egyptian leather exports come in the form of tanned leather and raw hides, with yearly production of tanned leather in Egypt surpassing 18.5 million square metres. The main recipients of the exported leather are China, Italy and Spain.

However, statistics detailing the different sectors of Egypt’s leather exports are beginning to shift due to a government push to increase the country’s capacity for leather product manufacturing both for domestic and international markets. Perhaps the biggest indicator of this is the development of Robbiki Leather City, which aims to transplant Egypt’s leather tanneries from their traditional seat in Old Cairo to more modern pastures.

The shift towards greater leather shoe and accessory production in the country is demonstrated by a marked decrease in leather shoe imports to Egypt in 2023, from USD 150 million to USD 132 million.