Markets
Egypt imported US$127M of unmanufactured tobacco in 2025; India supplied US$36.6M of it
Egypt has no tobacco crop of its own, so cigarette and shisha makers buy leaf abroad, and India was its largest single origin in each year from 2022 to 2025. Below are the figures, the refuse niche, the advance cargo information sequence and the routing.
At a glance
Egypt in numbers
| Egypt imports of unmanufactured tobacco (HS 2401) | US$126.8M and 25.4 kt in 2025; US$202.8M and 36.5 kt in 2024. Egypt-reported, UN Comtrade. |
|---|---|
| India's share | 29% of value in 2024 and 2025, 41% in 2023, 40% in 2022. India was US$59.5M (10.2 kt) in 2024 and US$36.6M (5.7 kt) in 2025. |
| Refuse (HS 2401.30) | A niche of US$3 to 10M and roughly 3 to 9 kt a year in 2022 to 2025. India was about 6% of value in 2025. |
| Before loading | Advance cargo information (ACI) is registered for every sea shipment, with the ACID number on the invoice and bill of lading. |
| What we supply | Leaf, lamina, high-nicotine scrap, stems and dust from Gujarat, crop 2026, processed in our own plant. |
| Entry ports | Alexandria, Damietta and Port Said on the Mediterranean, and Sokhna on the Red Sea. |
General market information. Your importer or customs broker confirms the licence and customs position for each order.
Imports and origins
India's place in Egypt's imports, 2022 to 2025
Egypt grows no tobacco, so its cigarette and shisha makers buy leaf abroad. India was the largest single origin in every year shown.
| Year | Egypt total, US$M | India, US$M | India, kt | India share of value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 70.2 | 28.0 | 5.4 | 40% |
| 2023 | 61.3 | 25.4 | 4.6 | 41% |
| 2024 | 202.8 | 59.5 | 10.2 | 29% |
| 2025 | 126.8 | 36.6 | 5.7 | 29% |
In 2025 the other main origins were Malawi (US$24.8M), China (US$10.5M), Brazil (US$9.9M), Bangladesh (US$8.7M) and Uganda (US$6.1M). Sources differ between Egyptian and Indian customs reports, and the table uses the Egyptian side throughout.
Refuse, HS 2401.30
Stems, scrap and dust: a specialist line
Refuse makes up a small part of Egypt's tobacco imports. Specification and consistency decide who supplies it.
| Year | Egypt total, US$M | Egypt total, kt | India, US$M | India share of value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 0.79 | 22% |
| 2023 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 0.27 | 9% |
| 2024 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 0.63 | 12% |
| 2025 | 10.4 | 8.9 | 0.60 | 6% |
The rise in 2025 came mainly from China (US$3.9M) and Zimbabwe (US$2.6M). Refuse goes into reconstituted sheet, blending fillers and nicotine extraction.
Who buys
Cigarette makers, shisha makers and traders
Cigarette makers
Cigarette makers buy leaf, scrap and other refuse for their blends.
Shisha makers
Shisha (muassel) makers are a second pool of demand.
Importing traders
Traders and brokers import for resale to manufacturers. Name your grade, quantity and port, and a proposal follows.
Advance cargo information
The ACI sequence for every Egyptian sea shipment
Egypt has required ACI for sea cargo since 1 October 2021 (Ministry of Finance decrees 38/2021 and 222/2021). As published in 2021, the sequence runs as follows; confirm current practice with your importer or forwarder.
- Importer. Registers on the Nafeza single-window platform and requests an ACID number for the shipment.
- Exporter. Registers on the CargoX platform, and the ACID is sent to both parties.
- Documents. The invoice and bill of lading carry the ACID, the importer's tax ID and the exporter's ID.
- Timing. Uploads complete at least 48 hours before the vessel arrives; cargo without a valid ACID can be returned at the forwarder's expense.
What we supply
Scrap, stems, dust, lamina and leaf
Choose the type that fits your process, alone or in combination, and we propose options. High-nicotine scrap is a product in its own right: sun-cured Nicotiana tabacum from Gujarat. Stems and dust are by-products of threshing and processing.
Our high-nicotine scrap from Gujarat is sold in four nicotine blocks: Standard 1.0 to 3.5%, Medium 3.6 to 4.0%, High 4.1 to 4.5% and Premium 4.6 to 5.5%. Moisture is not above 12% at loading. The crop is 2026, processed in our own plant in Gujarat.
Samples ship with a specification sheet, and each lot is screened in our own laboratory before dispatch. Third-party laboratory certificates are available. The products page lists the full ranges and the grade finder narrows the choice.
Shipping
Indian west coast to Egypt
The canal is open, but transits have been reported down 50 to 60% year on year since 2024. Routing by Suez or around the Cape, and the timing that follows, is confirmed in writing for the named port at booking. See ordering and shipping.
- Tell usgrade, quantity, port
- Samplereceive and test it
- Agreespecification and offer
- ACIDon the documents before loading
- Shipdocuments to follow
Questions
What Egyptian buyers ask
Is India a major source of tobacco for Egypt?
Yes. In Egypt's own customs reports India was the largest single origin of unmanufactured tobacco (HS 2401) in each year from 2022 to 2025, with a 29% share of value in 2024 and 2025. Egyptian imports totalled US$202.8M in 2024 and US$126.8M in 2025, so annual totals move widely.
Who buys imported tobacco in Egypt?
Cigarette makers, shisha (muassel) makers and importing traders. Ask your importer for its tax ID early, since it appears on the shipping documents.
What happens before an Egyptian shipment loads?
Egypt has required advance cargo information for sea imports since 1 October 2021. As published in 2021, the importer requests a shipment-specific ACID number through the Nafeza platform, the exporter registers on CargoX, the ACID appears on the invoice and bill of lading, and uploads complete at least 48 hours before the vessel arrives.
Can I test before I order?
Yes. A sample travels with its specification sheet, and sample size, courier and freight are settled when you enquire.
How do I ask for an offer?
Tell us the product, quantity and destination port, and we reply with an offer within one to two working days (India time). Our guide to FOB, CIF and CFR explains the shipping terms buyers commonly compare.
Next steps
Documents and shipping in more detail
Export documents
The set prepared for each shipment.
Ordering and shipping
Packing, documents and each step from enquiry to loading.
All destinations: Markets overview.
Sources and years: UN Comtrade public data, Egypt-reported imports of HS 2401 and HS 2401.30, calendar years 2022 to 2025, queried 7 October 2026 and subject to revision; shares are our arithmetic on those figures; Indian and Egyptian customs reports are separate series and sources differ. Tobacconomics, The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Taxation in Egypt (2022), for Egypt's dependence on imported leaf. Advance cargo information: Egyptian Ministry of Finance decrees 38/2021 and 222/2021 and IHK Braunschweig guidance, as published in 2021. Suez transits: GoFreight maritime disruption review, 2026. Reviewed October 2026.
Give us the grade, the quantity and the port
Options come back to you within one to two working days (India time). Email contact@indileaf.co or ring +91 80001 50037 and tell us the grade and destination port.
