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What Do the Latest China-Africa Trade Numbers Tell us About This Relationship? Not as Much as You Might Think.

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

Two-way China-Africa trade increased slightly by 2.2% last year to $208.7 billion, according to newly released data from China’s General Administration of Customs.

At first glance, trade between these two regions seems to be quite balanced overall. China imported $95.5 billion worth of African products, down 3.8% from the previous year, and exported $113.2 billion worth of products to Africa, up 7.8%.

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