On April 14, Lü Daliang, spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs of China, announced at a press conference that China’s total trade with Africa reached RMB 646.56 billion in Q1 2026, a year-on-year increase of 23.7%, reflecting continued strong momentum in China-Africa trade.
2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries. Since the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was founded in 2000, bilateral trade has expanded rapidly—from RMB 87.38 billion in 2000 to RMB 2.49 trillion in 2025, a 27.5-fold increase with an average annual growth rate of 14.3%.
- On the export side, China’s intermediate goods, capital goods, and consumer goods exports to Africa rose by 23.3%, 43.5%, and 25% respectively, meeting Africa’s growing demand for development and consumption.
- On the import side, China’s imports from Africa grew by 14.6%, supported by zero-tariff treatment for 33 least developed African countries.
A new milestone is coming: starting May 1, 2026, China will implement full zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries with diplomatic ties, the first major economy to do so comprehensively. This will boost Africa’s industrialization and agricultural modernization, bringing new opportunities for high-quality China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.
