China's Exports To Africa Soar 25% Amid US-China Trade War
· WeeTrackerChina’s Exports To Africa Soar 25%, As Trump’s Tariffs Push Beijing To New Markets
By
Staff Reporter
| August 28, 2025
When Donald Trump reimposed tariffs on Chinese goods, the move was meant to shield U.S. industries. Instead, it has helped turn Africa into China’s fastest-growing trade frontier.
In the first seven months of 2025, Chinese exports to Africa jumped 25% year-on-year to USD 122B. That figure already exceeds the continent’s entire imports from China in 2020, and trade is now on track to top USD 200 B for the first time, according to Bloomberg calculations from Chinese customs data.
The boom reflects how U.S. restrictions are redirecting Chinese goods toward regions eager for what Beijing can supply.
The U.S.’ recent tariff policies have targeted both sides of the global economy. Trump has tightened tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese goods. He has also narrowed duty-free access for more than 30 African countries, once covered by the African Growth and Opportunity Act. This double squeeze is pushing China and Africa closer together.
In contrast, Beijing has moved quickly to turn this moment to its advantage, expanding its trade ties on the continent. In June, President Xi Jinping announced that China would remove levies on imports from all African nations with which it has diplomatic ties. Agricultural goods from Ethiopia, Congo, Gambia, and Malawi were added to the list that same month, raising the total to 19 African countries with direct access to China’s market.
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The result is that, as the U.S. tightens the screws, China is opening its doors wider, giving African governments reason to lean eastward.
Meanwhile, Africa’s vast infrastructure needs are fueling the demand from China. With a 1.5 billion population and a massive need for everything from power grids to passenger cars, Africa is filling the gap left by weakening Chinese access to Western markets.
The attraction goes beyond access; prices of many Chinese goods have actually fallen this year, even as shipments surged. For governments stretched by debt and tight budgets, falling prices have made China an even more attractive partner.
Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt are the biggest buyers, joined by Liberia and Algeria. Together, they account for nearly half of China’s sales into Africa. Analysts say some of this flow may even include goods diverted from the U.S. through a practice known as transshipment. Whatever the channel, Africa is soaking up what Washington no longer wants.
Meanwhile, the composition of exports shows how closely trade aligns with Africa’s priorities. Shipments of passenger cars more than doubled from a year earlier, while motorcycles also grew over 80% YoY. At the same time, construction equipment rose 63% in the first half of 2025. Solar panels, batteries, and transformers, which are also among the biggest imports, posted strong double-digit growth, meeting the continent’s building and energy needs.
Beyond trade, China is also expanding its financial influence. State-owned banks, like the China Development Bank, which recently funded USD 286M for a Nigerian rail project, are financing large projects across the continent.
Initiatives like the Belt and Road, launched in 2013, also continue to reshape Africa’s trade map. This year has brought a surge in demand for machinery and supplies needed to complete Chinese-backed projects across the continent, ranging from railroads and bridges to renewable energy parks. In the first half of 2025, Africa signed USD 30.5B worth of Chinese construction contracts, five times the amount recorded a year earlier.
Currency policy is also shifting. Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya have all entered bilateral swaps that let them settle part of their trade in yuan instead of dollars. The move not only makes transactions cheaper but also embeds China more deeply in the continent’s financial system.
As trade protectionism continues to rise in the U.S., China is deepening its presence in the world’s fastest-growing economy, providing an extra incentive for Africa to buy from Beijing. The convergence of forces, including U.S. trade barriers, China’s tariff-free access, cheap goods, state-backed financing, and the use of the yuan, is creating powerful momentum that draws Africa closer to Beijing.
Even so, risks are building. The trading relationship between the two economies remains lopsided. With Africa accounting for about 6% of China’s total exports, the dependence on China is deepening. Critics warn that cheap Chinese imports could squeeze out local producers and that Beijing’s financial clout may tighten debt burdens across the continent.
Yet the momentum is unmistakable. In 2023, China-Africa trade reached USD 282B, marking Beijing’s 15th year as the continent’s top commercial partner. The acceleration in 2025 suggests Trump’s tariffs may have sped up this shift, positioning Africa as China’s most dynamic trade frontier.
For now, the flow of goods looks like a win-win: Africa gains infrastructure and cheaper imports, while China gains markets and influence. Whether that balance holds or tips into dependency remains the unanswered question.