Beijing is taking advantage of the changing global trade dynamics brought about by U.S. protectionism, and Africa has swiftly become one of China’s fastest-growing trading partners.
- Beijing is capitalizing on shifts in global trade dynamics spurred by U.S. protectionism.
- China’s exports to Africa in 2025 marked a 25% annual growth, surpassing the entire 2020 total in just half of 2025.
- China has exempted import levies on goods from African nations with diplomatic ties, attracting increased trade activity.
- The surge in trade includes significant exports of steel, iron components, batteries, and green technology products to Africa.
In 2025, Chinese exports to Africa reached $122 billion, up 25% year over year and surpassing growth in other major areas. Surprisingly, China’s exports to Africa exceeded the whole amount of exports for 2020 in just the first half of 2025.
Africa is one of Beijing’s most important markets, with trade flows expected to reach a record $200 billion before the year is over.
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This increase coincides with Washington’s tariff doubling. The duty-free access first granted under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been essentially undermined by the Trump administration’s expansion of tariffs on goods from more than 30 African nations.
China, on the other hand, has adopted the opposite strategy.
The country decided to remove import levies on items from all African nations having diplomatic connections to China, according to President Xi Jinping’s June announcement.
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Soon after, China opened its market to agricultural exports from Ethiopia, Congo, Gambia, and Malawi, bringing the total number of African countries with this access to 19.
Additionally, Chinese commodities failing to find clients abroad have received a warm welcome in African marketplaces.
Steel and iron component exports increased by 43%, while batteries witnessed a 41% rise, as seen on Bloomberg.
Transformer and converter sales, which are critical components of renewable energy systems, increased by over 25%, demonstrating Africa’s rising need for industrial and green technologies.
For the time being, Africa has mostly welcomed the inflow of cheaper Chinese goods, avoiding the reaction witnessed in other areas.
With that said, here are the 5 mobility infrastructure products African countries bought the most from China.
