All Things Considered, 2020 Wasn’t a Terrible Year For China-Africa Trade

Containers are seen stacked at a port in Qingdao in China's eastern Shandong province on January 14, 2020.  STR/AFP.

China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) released some updated figures last week on trade with Africa that tell a much more positive story than many would have assumed, given the sizable economic disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Total two-way trade between the two regions for the 11 months of 2020 totaled $168 billion, according to spokesperson Gao Feng. That puts China-Africa trade for the full year at somewhere around $182 billion when December’s figures are factored in. 

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.