China's African Trade Takeover

[beijingwalker]

China's African Trade Takeover​

by Martin Armstrong,
Jan 25, 2023

In 2000, China was the leading source of imports for only a few African countries: Sudan, Gambia, Benin and Djibouti. But as this infographics shows, 20 years later the Asian superpower is now the top supplier of goods for over 30 nations on the continent.

The China-Africa connection has been fostered intensely over the last two decades. As reported by Statista's research expert for Angola, Kenya and Tanzania, Julia Faria: "The value of Chinese exports to African countries jumped from five billion U.S. dollars to 110 billion". It's not just a one-way street, however: "African exports to China also increased, though at a slower pace. In 2020, total export value to China reached nearly 62 billion U.S. dollars, a slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The growing Chinese demand for raw materials has found a strong supplier in Africa, with exports valued at around 14 billion U.S. dollars in 2020."

Far beyond being a simple trade relationship, China has been the largest foreign investor in Africa for a number of years now. Additionally, the country was the source of 25 percent of infrastructure funding in the continent in 2018 - the second highest share that year and only second to the financial commitments from national African governments.

Infographic: China's African Trade Takeover

This chart shows the top source country for imports in African countries in 2000 and 2020.

www.statista.com

 

[-=virus=-]

 

[retaxis]

Africa has all the resources to boost the electronic and chip industry so getting them in chinas pockets is only going to guarantee chinese companies continue to further dominate electronics as well as electric vehicle market. A china without covid lockdown and unprecedented natural disasters like last year is going to shock everyone and make the doubters kowtow

 

[FuturePAF]

French troops have recently been asked to leave Bukina Faso, so that opens the door for greater economic prospects for China in that country.

Also ECOWAS (the organization of West African countries) is planning on building a rail line. If it goes to Mail and Senegal, Chinese imports/exports from West African could go along that route and come more easily to them in Bamako and Dakar.

Slot of great information on African economic potential/project feasibility at this website btw:

Maps - Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat

The following maps are extracted from the OECD publication

www.oecd.org

South Sudan and the Central African Republic will probably have china become their number on trading partner when the motorway class roads and/or modern rail lines from ECOWAS/Cameroon and Ethiopia reach them.

Smaller island nations, off Africa’s coast not directly tied politically with France have probably already made China their number one trading partner and Tunisia is probably going to remain in the French trade orbit.

Gabon is set to have China as its leading trading partner this decade.

Africanews | China is Gabon's leading trade partner for a decade