Egypt Urea Market 2026
Egypt urea market 2026: 3.22 Mt exported in 2024, Abu Qir and MOPCO, EU CBAM cost, summer gas cuts, granular vs prilled specs and how to source urea FOB Egypt.
Egypt's urea industry at a glance
Egypt is one of the world's largest urea exporters. In 2024 it shipped 3.22 million tonnes of urea worth about US$1.41 billion, the second-largest export value of any country that year (World Bank WITS, HS 3102.10). The industry runs on domestic natural gas: ammonia is synthesised from gas and converted to granular or prilled urea at plants concentrated on the Mediterranean coast around Alexandria and Damietta and along the Nile.
Most of that tonnage goes to Europe. The European Union imported 6.23 million tonnes of urea from outside the bloc in 2024, and Egypt, Russia and Algeria together supplied more than 87 % of it — with Egypt the largest single supplier. Egypt is also France's largest urea supplier, with about a third of arrivals, ahead of Algeria at about a quarter (Argus, February 2026).
Market at a glance
| Metric | Value | Source / year |
|---|---|---|
| Urea exports | 3.22 million tonnes · about US$1.41 billion | WITS / UN Comtrade, 2024 |
| Global rank by export value | 2nd | WITS, 2024 |
| EU urea imports from non-EU origins | 6.23 million tonnes; Egypt, Russia and Algeria > 87 % | Argus, 2024 |
| Egypt's share of French urea arrivals | about 33 % — largest supplier, ahead of Algeria (25 %) | Argus, February 2026 |
| MOPCO urea sales | 1,741,000 t, of which 947,000 t exported (54 %); 89 % of exports to Europe | MOPCO results, FY 2024 |
| Abu Qir urea capacity | 650,000 t/yr granular + 580,000 t/yr prilled | Argus, July 2024 |
| EU CBAM default charge on Egyptian urea | about €43/t (estimate) | Argus, December 2025 |
| HS code | 3102.10 — urea, whether or not in aqueous solution | HS code glossary |
Egyptian urea producers
| Producer | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Qir Fertilizers and Chemical Industries | Abu Qir, Alexandria | 650,000 t/yr granular and 580,000 t/yr prilled urea capacity |
| MOPCO — Misr Fertilizers Production Company | Damietta | 1.74 million tonnes of urea sold in FY 2024, 54 % exported, 89 % of exports to Europe |
| Helwan Fertilizers | Helwan, Cairo | Named by Argus among Egypt's urea producers |
| KIMA — Egyptian Chemical Industries | Aswan | Named by Argus among Egypt's urea producers |
| NCIC — El Nasr Company for Intermediate Chemicals | Egypt | Named by Argus among Egypt's urea producers |
Producers, capacities and sales are taken from the sources listed at the foot of this page. Egypt Globe Group is a trader and exporter, not a urea producer; it buys from Egyptian plants and ships under its own quality verification.
Two things that move the Egyptian urea market
1. Summer gas allocation
Egyptian urea output depends on the natural-gas grid. In summer 2024 the government prioritised gas for power generation to meet cooling demand: Abu Qir's production was affected from 20 May and its plants halted on 24 June, with KIMA, NCIC, Helwan and MOPCO also suspended in the same period before a gradual restart in July (Argus, 2 July 2024). Buyers planning June–August liftings should confirm plant status and laycan before fixing a vessel.
2. The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
From 1 January 2026 EU importers of urea carry a CBAM cost on the embedded emissions. Argus estimated the default charge on duty-free Egyptian urea at about €43/t — roughly 9–10 % of the granular urea price delivered to the French Atlantic coast in early December 2025. Urea carries the lowest proportional carbon cost among nitrogen fertilizers, but European buyers should budget the certificate cost and request producer-specific emissions data where available, since verified plant figures can replace the default value.
Granular or prilled — what buyers specify
| Parameter | Granular urea 46 % N | Prilled urea 46 % N |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen | ≥ 46.0 % | ≥ 46.0 % |
| Biuret | ≤ 1.0 % | ≤ 1.0 % |
| Moisture | ≤ 0.5 % | ≤ 0.5 % |
| Particle size | 2.0–4.0 mm (90 % retained) | 1.0–2.5 mm |
| Crushing strength | ≥ 3.0 kg | — |
| Typical use | Bulk blending, mechanical spreading, long storage | Direct application, solutions, technical and feed-adjacent uses |
Granular is the grade European and bulk-blending buyers ask for: the larger, harder particle spreads evenly and survives handling. Prilled is smaller and softer, preferred where it is dissolved or applied by hand. Both are verified per lot for nitrogen, biuret, moisture and sizing, with the Certificate of Analysis issued before the Bill of Lading.
Supply options from Egypt Globe Group
| Product | Headline specification | MOQ | Lead time | Loading ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urea 46 % N granular | N ≥ 46.0 %, biuret ≤ 1.0 %, 2.0–4.0 mm | 1,000 MT | 2–4 weeks | Damietta · Adabiya · Ain Sokhna · Alexandria |
| Urea 46 % N prilled | N ≥ 46.0 %, biuret ≤ 1.0 %, 1.0–2.5 mm | 1,000 MT | 2–4 weeks | Damietta · Adabiya · Ain Sokhna |
| UAN 32 liquid nitrogen | N 32.0 %, density 1.32 kg/L at 20 °C | 25 MT | 4–6 weeks | Damietta · Alexandria · Ain Sokhna |
| CAN 26 % N | N 26.0 %, Ca 7.0 %, 2–4 mm | 500 MT | 3–5 weeks | Damietta · Alexandria |
| Ammonium sulphate 21 % N + 24 % S | N ≥ 21.0 %, S ≥ 24 %, 2.0–4.0 mm | 500 MT | 3–5 weeks | Damietta · Alexandria · Ain Sokhna |
The full range is on the nitrogen fertilizers page; compound grades and the wider industry are covered in the Egypt NPK fertilizer market brief and the fertilizers division.
QA and documents
Every lot is sampled and analysed at the loading port for nitrogen, biuret, moisture and particle size, and the Certificate of Analysis is issued before the Bill of Lading; a lot outside the contractual specification is rejected at the port. Independent pre-shipment inspection by SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas is available on every shipment, with draft survey on bulk vessels. The document set covers Commercial Invoice, Packing List, B/L, Certificate of Origin (EUR.1 for the EU, PAFTA, COMESA and AfCFTA where applicable) and the CoA.
Sourcing urea from Egypt?
Send the grade (granular or prilled), quantity, destination port, Incoterm and laycan. A priced FOB, CFR or CIF offer comes back once stock, laycan and freight are confirmed — see loading ports for berths and drafts at Damietta and the Gulf of Suez ports.
Sources
- World Bank WITS / UN Comtrade — Urea exports by country, 2024 (HS 310210)
- Argus Media — Nitrogen market braces for CBAM after documents leak, 11 December 2025
- Argus Media — French urea imports surge in 2H 2025, 17 February 2026
- Argus Media — Egypt's Abu Qir to gradually restart urea output, 2 July 2024
- Egypt Oil & Gas — MOPCO generates record EGP 19.65 bn revenues, boosts ammonia and urea exports to Europe, 13 April 2025
Ready for a quote?
FOB / CIF / CFR pricing from 7 Egyptian ports — turnaround once stock, laycan and freight are confirmed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much urea does Egypt export?
Who are the main urea producers in Egypt?
How does the EU CBAM affect Egyptian urea?
Why does Egyptian urea supply tighten in summer?
What urea grades and order sizes does Egypt Globe Group supply?
Other questions? Email our export desk — the export desk replies to every request.