ALGERIA · TRADE
Key Facts
- —The country Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area and earns most of its export income from gas and oil, while it tries to build other export lines.
- —Why it matters Non-hydrocarbon sales are the government’s test of diversification away from gas, and they concern buyers of Algerian fertilizer, steel and food.
- —Why now A trade ministry official gave the eight-month figures in a radio interview on Sunday 18 October 2026, while a food-industry fair was open in Blida.
- —What happened Non-hydrocarbon exports rose 10% to about US$4 billion in January to August 2026, and the ministry expects about US$5 billion for the full year.
- —The numbers Food-industry exports reached US$213 million in January to August, up 15% on the same period of 2025, including chocolate, olive oil, biscuits and cheese.
- —What it means for you US food importers, fertilizer and steel buyers and energy investors get a read on Algeria’s diversification, and US goods trade with Algeria was an estimated US$3.5 billion in 2025.
- —Still open Whether the US$5 billion forecast is cautious given slowing growth, and how much foreign currency exporters bring home.
Algeria non-hydrocarbon exports reached about US$4 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 10% on a year earlier. A senior trade ministry official gave the figures on Sunday 18 October 2026.
For US readers the number shows how fast Algeria is widening an export base that still leans on gas and oil. US goods trade with Algeria was an estimated US$3.5 billion in 2025, according to the US Trade Representative.
Zohir Moussaoui, a central director at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, spoke on state radio’s Chaîne 1. TSA Algérie, El Khabar and Algérie360 carried his figures on 18 October, and Maghreb Emergent added analysis the same evening.
Gas and oil still dominate what Algeria sells abroad, as we covered in Algeria’s 2026 Economy Relies on Gas for Over 90% of Exports. The new total measures the smaller, non-gas part of that trade, which our guide Algeria Explained 2026, Politics, Gas and Economy places in the wider economy.
How Algeria Non-Hydrocarbon Exports Reached US$4 Billion
Moussaoui said the value of non-hydrocarbon exports rose 10% to US$4 billion over January to August 2026. El Khabar and Algérie360 wrote that the total came close to US$4 billion rather than exactly that figure.
He gave the full-year forecast as US$5 billion, the same level the ministry named as its 2025 target in October 2025. Maghreb Emergent noted that the ministry also spoke of exceeding US$5 billion.
Maghreb Emergent said the ministry put first-quarter growth at 16%, so the pace has slowed to just over 10% across eight months. It also said exports have averaged about US$500 million a month since January.
On that pace the US$5 billion forecast needs only about US$250 million a month from September to December, Maghreb Emergent calculated. It asked whether the forecast is simply cautious or whether the figures cover different ground.
Food Exports Lead the Official Message
Moussaoui said Algeria exported US$213 million of food products between January and August 2026, up 15% on the same period of 2025. The products he named were chocolate, olive oil, biscuits, cheese, canned goods, margarine, sauces and spices.
He added that Algeria once imported about US$28 million of biscuits, before local makers filled the home market. Algérie-Eco reported that Algerian biscuits and confectionery now sell in about 30 countries.
Food is still a small slice of the total, because US$213 million is about 5% of US$4 billion. Maghreb Emergent said eight products made up 88% of non-hydrocarbon exports in 2023, citing a World Bank report.
Those products included nitrogen fertilizers, ammonia, steel products, cement, phosphate, sugar and dates, according to Maghreb Emergent. Only sugar and dates among them are food.
Maghreb Emergent also cited a 72% rise in non-hydrocarbon export tonnage through the port of Béjaïa from January to August. Tonnage is volume, not value, so that figure does not show earnings.
The remarks came as a Made in Algeria food-industry exhibition opened in Blida on Saturday 17 October, according to Algérie-Eco. Maghreb Emergent said it runs until 20 October with about 100 companies.
A Narrow Base and a Cautious Forecast
Maghreb Emergent reported that Moussaoui accepted the figures vary and do not fully reflect production capacity. El Khabar quoted him as saying the challenge is to sustain the export momentum and so reduce the trade deficit.
Maghreb Emergent recalled a US$10 billion goal set by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in April 2025. It said Tebboune put 2025 itself at about US$5 billion in February 2026, so the goal had not been reached.
The Bank of Algeria had put 2024 non-hydrocarbon exports at US$3.84 billion, Maghreb Emergent said. The 2026 forecast of US$5 billion would match 2025 and sit about 30% above 2024, on our calculation.
What Tebboune Said About Foreign Currency
TSA reported that on Wednesday 14 October Tebboune warned exporters who do not bring back all of their foreign currency. In its account he said exports were taking place but the return of currency was weak.
TSA also carried hydrocarbon export earnings of US$37.5 billion for January to September 2026, which it attributed to Hydrocarbons Minister Mohamed Arkab. The periods differ by a month, so the two totals are not strictly comparable.
A separate small factory-goods order, our report on Algeria to Export 250 EV Chargers to Italy, shows the same push for non-gas sales. It came on 13 October, five days before the new totals.
What It Means for US Readers
Buyers of Algerian fertilizer, steel, sugar, dates and food products gain a view of how fast new supply could grow. US goods trade with Algeria totalled an estimated US$3.5 billion in 2025, with US$1.3 billion of US exports and US$2.2 billion of US imports, according to the US Trade Representative.
Energy investors should note that the non-gas total is small beside gas and oil sales, which still set the country’s export income. The sources do not say which markets take the food exports, so the US share is unknown.
What Is Not Known
The full interview and the ministry’s detailed customs data were not available for this article, so the figures rest on Moussaoui’s statements as carried by TSA, El Khabar and Algérie360. Outlets differ on whether the total was exactly or nearly US$4 billion.
The sources do not give the eight-month 2025 base in dollars or a country breakdown of buyers. They also do not show how much of this year’s total comes from fertilizers, steel and other industrial products.
It is not known whether the ministry’s US$5 billion forecast is a floor or a ceiling. The next monthly figures should show whether growth stays near 10%.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Algeria non-hydrocarbon exports reach in 2026?
About US$4 billion in January to August 2026, up 10% on a year earlier, according to a trade ministry official. Several outlets wrote that the total came close to US$4 billion.
Who announced the figure?
Zohir Moussaoui, a central director at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, announced it on Sunday 18 October 2026. He spoke in an interview on state radio.
What is the forecast for the full year?
The ministry expects about US$5 billion in non-hydrocarbon exports for 2026. Maghreb Emergent noted that this implies a slower monthly pace than since January.
What does Algeria export outside gas and oil?
Moussaoui named chocolate, olive oil, biscuits, cheese and canned goods among food exports worth US$213 million. Maghreb Emergent said eight products, including fertilizers, steel products and dates, made up 88% of such exports in 2023.
Why does it matter to US readers?
It shows how fast a major gas producer is diversifying, which matters to importers and investors. US goods trade with Algeria was an estimated US$3.5 billion in 2025.
Sources: TSA Algérie, 18 October 2026; El Khabar, 18 October 2026; Algérie360, 18 October 2026; Maghreb Emergent, 18 October 2026; Algérie-Eco, 18 October 2026; Algérie-Eco, 15 October 2025; Office of the US Trade Representative, Algeria.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief