Promising Opportunities for Egypt’s Tomato Paste and Ketchup Exports
ibya, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia are ready to Receive Tomato Pastes, while the UAE and the UK are Key Markets for Ketchup
Egypt holds a prominent position among the countries exporting tomato paste and ketchup, ranking eighth globally in tomato paste exports with a market share of 2%, and ninth in ketchup exports with a market share of 3%.
A study conducted by the Export Council for Food Industries revealed promising opportunities for Egyptian producers to achieve significant growth in exports to several global markets. These markets are seen as highly attractive for both local and foreign investment.
Egypt’s exports of tomato paste in 2023 amounted to approximately $92 million, with an average price of $1,627 per ton. The volume of exports could be doubled in the coming years if efforts are intensified to take advantage of the promising opportunities in international markets.
The Libyan market is considered the largest market with significant opportunities for tomato paste, with imports valued at $33 million, while Egyptian exports only account for $1.5 million. Following Libya is the Iraqi market, valued at $16 million, with Egypt capturing $3.8 million of that market. Saudi Arabia is also a major opportunity, with potential exports reaching $13 million, while current Egyptian exports to Saudi Arabia are just $1.5 million.
According to the study by the Export Council for Food Industries, Egypt ranks ninth among the largest ketchup exporters, with a market share of 3%, totaling $83 million, with quantities reaching 48,000 tons and an average price of $1,732 per ton. The annual growth rate over the past five years has been 24%.
The export opportunities for ketchup differ somewhat from those for tomato paste over the next five years. The UAE is considered one of the largest markets where Egypt can increase ketchup exports to $9 million, compared to $3.3 million currently. The UK market comes second, where exports could rise to $3.7 million, up from just $310,000 at present.
Saudi Arabia ranks third among markets with promising export opportunities for Egypt, with current imports from Egypt standing at $3.9 million, which could increase to $6.1 million.
