Egypt commodities exports increase 20 percent

Egyptian Commodities exports achieved a 20 percent increase from 2003 to 2004, Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade, Rasheed Mohamed Rasheed, announced yesterday.

The Ministry is working to increase this percentage a further 8 percent, Rasheed said, adding that the Ministry, is coordinating its work with the Industrial Modernization Program, to raise certain industrial standards to reach international levels.

Rasheed said that the Ministry is trying to increase exports to the EU within the textile and food product partnership agreement.

New markets are being opened this year for Egyptian exports in Latin America, Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States, Rasheed added.