Egypt Ranks Second in Global Sugar Byproduct Exports

Egypt is now the world’s second-largest exporter of beet pulp, sugar cane bagasse, and other byproducts of sugar production. It accounted for about one-fifth of global trade in the category in 2025, according to the Food Export Council. The country shipped roughly 889,000 metric tons of the materials, worth about USD 176 million (EGP 9.7 billion).

The 2025 figure reflects sharp growth as export value rose 54 percent from 2024, when Egypt also ranked second, with an 18 percent share of global exports and USD 114 million (EGP 6.3 billion) in sales. Between 2020 and 2025, the value of exports grew at a compound annual rate of 17 percent, and volume grew 11 percent.

China was the largest importer, purchasing USD 46 million (EGP 2.5 billion) worth, or 26 percent of the total. Spain followed with USD 24 million (EGP 1.3 billion), then Ireland with USD 21 million (EGP 1.1 billion), South Korea with USD 16 million (EGP 881.3 million), and Italy with USD 13 million (EGP 716 million). Together, the top five markets took about USD 120 million (EGP 6.6 billion), or 68 percent of exports. 

The council announced that the mix of Asian and European buyers pointed to room for further expansion.

The performance comes as Egypt’s sugar sector expands. Deliveries of sugar beets to the country’s mills rose 50 percent to 18 million tons in the 2025 season, according to Al Arabiya. Egypt also exported about USD 290 million (EGP 16 billion) of refined cane and beet sugar in 2025, ranking 14th globally.