CAIRO: Egypt’s copper exports rose 130 percent in 2021 between January and October, the country’s Export Council for Building Materials said in its latest report. According to the statistics, copper exports reached $296 million during the period as compared to $129 million during the same period in 2020. Egypt exported copper to 45 countries. Of the total, 16 markets were added to the country’s list in 2021. The new markets include South Africa, Mozambique, Malta, Qatar, Switzerland, Canada, Rwanda, Senegal, the Russian Federation, Australia, Tunisia, Tanzania, Vietnam and Spain, according to the Middle East News Agency. Saudi Arabia was the largest importer of copper, with imports increasing by over 4,000 percent to $70 million, up from $1.6 million last year, accounting for 24 percent of the total value of copper exports. Copper exports to Lebanon rose by 350 percent, reaching $31 million, compared to $7 million in 2020, while Greece recorded an increase of 180 percent, to reach $30 million, compared to $10.6 million last year. The council stated that total copper exports to China increased by 777 percent, reaching $27.6 million compared to $3 million last year. However, exports to Algeria and Jordan decreased as compared to the last year, down 32 and 25 percent respectively, the report added.