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Egypt is one of the world’s top-four producers of both onions and garlic, and its combined onion-and-garlic exports averaged about USD 220 million a year between 2020 and 2024. Onions are the larger leg — Egypt ships around 200,000 tonnes a year to markets led by the Netherlands, the UK, Saudi Arabia and Russia — while garlic is a fast-growing complement, and Egypt has just won access to new markets such as Uruguay. This report compiles the volumes, values, destinations, varieties and season into one citable reference, updated annually. For the wider picture see the produce export statistics hub and the State of Egyptian Agri-Export 2026.
Egypt competes on scale, a wide varietal range (red, white, yellow and Balady), competitive pricing and a long storage-backed window. The figures below set out where Egypt’s onions and garlic go, what they earn, and where the trade is heading.
2026 edition · Last Updated: June 2026. Figures use ITC Trademap and official Egyptian data cross-checked with IndexBox, EastFruit and Tridge; see Sources & Methodology.
Table of Contents
At a Glance
The headline numbers, ready to quote:
- Egypt is a top-four global producer of both onions and garlic, with onion production around 3.3–3.8 million tonnes.
- Combined onion-and-garlic exports averaged ~USD 220 million a year (2020–2024).
- Egypt exports roughly 200,000 tonnes of onions a year (about 128,000 t in Q1 2024 alone).
- The Netherlands, UK and Saudi Arabia together take ~43% of onion export value; Russia, UAE and Italy follow.
- Varieties: red, white, yellow and Balady onions and garlic.
- New market access: Egypt was cleared to export onions and garlic to Uruguay in 2026.
Egypt in the Global Onion & Garlic Market
Egypt sits among the world’s largest onion and garlic producers, behind only India and China on onions. Its large, low-cost crop and long storage window make it a dependable counter-seasonal and gap-filling supplier across Europe, the Gulf, Russia and Africa.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Onion production rank | Top 3–4 worldwide | IndexBox / trade |
| Onion production | ~3.3–3.8 million t | 2024 |
| Garlic production rank | ~4th worldwide | 2024 · trade |
| Onion + garlic export value | ~USD 220 million / year | 2020–2024 avg · ITC Trademap |
Onions — Volume, Value & Varieties
Onions are Egypt’s larger allium export. Volumes move with global supply and Egyptian crop size; after a record 2023, the 2024 trade softened with the wider global onion market before stabilising.
| Metric (onions) | Value | Basis / source |
|---|---|---|
| Export volume | ~200,000 t | 2024 · ITC / trade |
| Q1 2024 volume | ~128,000 t | Q1 2024 |
| H1 2023 export value | USD 129.3 million (+95.9%) | H1 2023 |
| Main varieties | Red, White, Yellow, Balady | — |
Onion export volume is reported differently by source and period (e.g. ~128,000 t in Q1 2024 vs ~200,000 t for the year on a value-based ITC basis); see Sources & Methodology.
Garlic — Production & Exports
Egypt is roughly the world’s fourth-largest garlic producer, and garlic exports have grown strongly off a fast-expanding production base. Egypt ships red, Balady and white garlic, both fresh and processed/dehydrated.
| Metric (garlic) | Value | Basis / source |
|---|---|---|
| Production rank | ~4th worldwide | 2024 · trade |
| Production growth (5-yr) | +36.8% | to 2022 |
| Q1 2024 fresh garlic exports | ~4,672 t | Q1 2024 |
| Main varieties | Red, Balady, White | — |
Top Destinations
European and Gulf markets lead, with Russia an important and variable outlet and new markets opening.
| Market | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Top market | EU re-export hub |
| United Kingdom | Top market | NL + UK + Saudi ≈ 43% of value |
| Saudi Arabia | Top market | Gulf demand |
| Russia | Important, variable | Onion supplies rebuilt in 2025 |
| UAE, Italy, others | Growing | Wide market base |
| Uruguay | New (2026) | Fresh market access granted |
Source: IndexBox; Ecofin Agency (Uruguay access); EastFruit (Russia). The Netherlands, UK and Saudi Arabia together account for about 43% of onion export value.
Prices
Egyptian onions are among the most competitively priced in the world, which underpins their appeal in price-sensitive markets. The global onion market eased in 2024 after record 2023 highs; Egyptian prices stayed broadly stable.
| Indicator | Value | Basis / source |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 market | Eased from 2023 highs | trade press |
| Egyptian onion (indicative) | Among lowest global FOB | trade |
| Egypt FOB (onion / garlic) | Onion: USD 220–360/t · Garlic: USD 1,200–1,700/t | PEI Trade |
Prices are indicative market references, not offers. FOB depends on type (fresh/dry), variety, grade, packing, destination and timing.
Production & Supply Base
Onions and garlic are grown across the Nile Delta, Upper Egypt and reclaimed lands, with a large smallholder and commercial base. Production scale (onions around 3.3–3.8 million tonnes) plus widespread curing and cold storage give Egypt a long, flexible export window and dependable volume.
Season Window & Logistics
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main season | Harvest from ~February; storage extends shipping for months |
| Container | 40ft reefer (fresh) / ventilated; dry onion in mesh bags |
| Packing | 5/10/25 kg mesh bags, jumbo bags, cartons by market |
| Lead ports | Alexandria, Damietta; Red Sea for Gulf/Asia |
| Forms | Fresh, dried, and frozen (IQF) |
Frozen Onion & Garlic
Beyond fresh and dried product, frozen (IQF) onion and garlic are growing value-added lines for the food-processing and foodservice trade, smoothing demand across the year. See the frozen & IQF report for the full frozen picture.
2026 Outlook
The outlook is steady to positive. A favourable exchange rate keeps Egyptian onions and garlic highly competitive, new market access (Uruguay) and a wide market base add resilience, and processing and frozen lines add value. The swing factors are global onion price cycles, Russian demand variability, and crop size. Exporters that combine competitive FOB with reliable grading, varietal range and storage are best placed.
What Buyers Should Know
Egypt offers large, low-cost, storage-backed onion and garlic supply across red, white, yellow and Balady types, fresh, dried or frozen. The practical levers for 2026: specify variety, grade and packing format, lock storage-season programmes, confirm phytosanitary documentation, and consider dried/frozen lines for processing demand. PEI Trade ships onions and garlic across these markets and can advise on grade, packing, ports and Incoterms.
PEI Trade Desk Data
The original layer in this report: representative PEI Trade FOB quotes by product and form. Figures are indicative and to be confirmed against current desk records before publication.
| Product | Form | Indicative FOB (USD/t) |
|---|---|---|
| Red / yellow onion | Fresh, mesh bags | 220–360 |
| Dried onion | Flakes / granules | 2,100–3,200 |
| Garlic (Balady / white) | Fresh | 1,200–1,700 |
Sources & Methodology
Method. This report compiles ITC Trademap and official Egyptian figures, cross-checked with IndexBox, EastFruit, Tridge and Ecofin Agency, plus PEI Trade desk data as the original layer. Onion export volume is reported differently by source and period — for example about 128,000 tonnes in Q1 2024 versus roughly 200,000 tonnes for the year on a value-based ITC basis — so figures are labelled with their basis. The combined onion-and-garlic export-value figure (~USD 220 million/year) is a 2020–2024 ITC Trademap average.
- Production ranks & destinations: IndexBox.
- Export value & Uruguay access: Ecofin Agency (ITC Trademap).
- Volumes & varieties: trade data (onion ~200k t 2024); Q1 2024 onion/garlic figures.
- Prices: Tridge; trade press.
- Original layer: PEI Trade desk data.
Edition: 2026 · Compiled: June 2026 · Update cadence: annually.
How to Cite This Report
Reusing a figure? Please cite it and link to this page as the source.
PEI Trade (2026). Egyptian Onion & Garlic Export Report 2026. PEI Trade. https://peitrade.com/egyptian-onion-garlic-export-report-2026/
- APA: PEI Trade. (2026). Egyptian onion & garlic export report 2026. https://peitrade.com/egyptian-onion-garlic-export-report-2026/
- Plain text: “Egyptian Onion & Garlic Export Report 2026,” PEI Trade, peitrade.com.
- Press & data enquiries: sales@peitrade.com · +201099111918.
Egyptian Onion & Garlic Exports — FAQ
How much onion does Egypt export?
Egypt exports roughly 200,000 tonnes of onions a year (about 128,000 tonnes in Q1 2024 alone). Combined onion-and-garlic exports averaged about USD 220 million a year between 2020 and 2024. Volume figures vary by source and period.
Where does Egypt export onions and garlic?
The Netherlands, the UK and Saudi Arabia together take about 43% of Egypt’s onion export value, with Russia, the UAE and Italy also important. Egypt won access to new markets such as Uruguay in 2026.
What onion and garlic varieties does Egypt export?
Egypt exports red, white, yellow and Balady onions, and red, Balady and white garlic, in fresh, dried and frozen (IQF) forms.
Is Egypt a major onion and garlic producer?
Yes. Egypt is among the world’s top three to four onion producers (around 3.3–3.8 million tonnes) and roughly the fourth-largest garlic producer, behind India and China.
When is the Egyptian onion season?
The main onion harvest begins around February, and curing plus cold storage extend the export window for several months, giving Egypt a long and flexible shipping season.
Source Egyptian Onions & Garlic
Looking for an onion and garlic partner with large storage-backed volume, the full varietal range, fresh/dried/frozen forms, and documentation handled end to end? Let’s build your 2026 programme.
- Email: sales@peitrade.com
- WhatsApp / Office: +201099111918
- Website: www.peitrade.com
Browse our onions and garlic product pages, or see the full produce export statistics, the potato report, the frozen & IQF report and the State of Egyptian Agri-Export 2026.