Exports from China to Africa have grown in two distinct phases over the past decade. Between 2016 and 2020, expansion was gradual, increasing by just over $20 billion across four years. The trajectory changed sharply in 2021, when export volumes surged significantly, lifting trade to a permanently larger scale.
From 2021 onward, export growth settled into steady annual increases before accelerating again in 2025. The latest value of $225 billion reflects not only continued expansion but also a renewed surge, reinforcing the post-pandemic period as a clear turning point in the long-term growth of China–Africa trade.
