Egypt-U.S. Business Data
U.S. Foreign Assistance to Egypt
Since 1979, Egypt has been among the top recipients of U.S. bilateral foreign assistance to the world. In 2017, Egypt received USD 1.42 billion in foreign assistance from the U.S., making it the second largest recipient of foreign assistance from the U.S. after Israel.
| Top Recipients of U.S. Foreign Assistance (USD million) | FY 2017 Planned | FY 2017 Spent | FY 2018 Requested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | 3,100.0 | 63.6 | 3,100.0 |
| Egypt | 1,419.3 | 95.2 | 1,381.3 |
| Jordan | 1,280.0 | 830.5 | 1,000.0 |
| Afghanistan | 4,301.8 | 1,357.2 | 782.8 |
| Kenya | 706.1 | 604.7 | 639.4 |
| Tanzania | 546.6 | 361.7 | 535.3 |
| Uganda | 398.8 | 387.2 | 436.4 |
| Zambia | 397.0 | 253.9 | 428.9 |
| Nigeria | 515.1 | 508.9 | 419.1 |
| Iraq | 376.6 | 334.3 | 347.9 |
Source: www.foreignassistance.gov
Between 1948 and 2017, the U.S. provided Egypt with USD 78.5 billion in bilateral foreign aid, including about USD 1.3 billion a year in military aid from 1983 to the present. Egypt receives the bulk of foreign aid funds from two primary accounts: Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and Economic Support Funds (ESF). In addition, it receives smaller, less consistent sums for International Military Education and Training (IMET), for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) and for Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Programs (NADR). The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the primary provider of U.S. bilateral foreign assistance, followed by the Department of Agriculture and Department of Defense. All U.S. foreign aid to Egypt is appropriated and authorized by Congress.
In FY 2017, Egypt received USD 1.42 billion in foreign assistance from the U.S. Of this, USD 1.3 billion was from FMF; USD 112.5 million was from ESF; USD 3 million was for NADR; USD 2.0 million for INCLE; and USD 1.8 million in IMET.
For FY 2018, the Trump Administration has announced its intent to maintain FMF funds at the same level but cut ESF funding to USD 75.0 million; a surprise move in that Egypt has not received less than USD 100 million in U.S. economic assistance since the late 1970s. This decision results from previous years in which large sums of obligated money were not utilized; for example, in 2017, less than USD 100 million in foreign aid was spent in Egypt, although a much larger sum was allocated. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has yet to reverse or otherwise modify the Obama-era decision to eliminate a form of procurement known as cash flow financing (CFF), which allows Egypt to repay arms purchases over a longer time period.
| FY 2014 | FY 2015 | FY 2016 | FY 2017 - Estimate | FY 2018 - Request | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FMF | 1,300.0 | 1,300.0 | 1,300.0 | 1,300.0 | 1,300.0 |
| ESF | 200.0 | 150.0 | 150.0 | 112.5 | 75.0 |
| NADR | - | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| INCLE | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| IMET | - | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Other | 3.0 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 6.8 | 6.3 |
| Total | 1,503.0 | 1,454.1 | 1,454.5 | 1,419.3 | 1,381.3 |
Source: Congressional Research Services, March 2017
(Updated March 2018)