In 2025, Africa is establishing itself as a strategic market for China. Over the first eight months, Chinese exports to the continent reached $140.8 billion, up almost 25% compared to 2024.
At the same time, African imports to China increased much more modestly, to $81.3 billion, accentuating a structural trade imbalance.
This dynamic reflects a strategic repositioning: faced with the slowdown in its sales to the United States‑, China is turning to Africa, whose industrialization requires machines, electrical equipment, vehicles and ships. Contracts in construction and infrastructure are soaring, as is the demand for energy solutions, notably solar panels and lithium batteries, essential to the continent's energy transition.
Beijing has also strengthened its attractiveness by opening its market to certain African products and granting customs duty exemptions to 53 countries, making Africa a privileged partner in the face of trade tensions with Washington.
But this boom carries risks. Africa remains predominantly an exporter of raw materials and an importer of Chinese manufactured products, widening structural dependence. If the continent becomes an essential partner for Beijing, this asymmetry risks having a lasting impact on its economies.
