Fujian's trade with Africa accelerates, with imports and exports reaching a historic high in the first half of the year

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. Thanks to the Ten Major Partnership Actions for Modernization jointly promoted by China and Africa, as well as China's comprehensive implementation of non-zero tariffs on 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations on May 1st, Fujian's trade with Africa has ushered in new growth opportunities, further unleashing the complementary advantages of both sides and accelerating trade. According to Xiamen Customs statistics, in the first half of this year, Fujian Province's imports and exports to Africa amounted to 60.536 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22.23%, and the import and export value reached a new historical high for the same period. Among them, exports amounted to 33.292 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23.32%; Imports amounted to 27.245 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.91%, with both exports and imports reaching new historical highs for the same period.
According to officials from Xiamen Customs, private enterprises continue to play a "main force" role. In the first half of the year, private enterprises in Fujian Province imported and exported 38.637 billion yuan to Africa, a year-on-year increase of 22.57%, accounting for 63.82% of the province's total import and export value to Africa during the same period. During the same period, state-owned enterprises showed strong growth, with imports and exports reaching 18.767 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 40.89%.
Data shows that with the increasingly close cooperation between China and Africa, Fujian's imports and exports to Africa are showing a good situation of "multi-point flowering". South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria are the top three trading partners of Fujian in terms of imports and exports to Africa. In the first half of the year, their imports and exports were 10.478 billion yuan, 7.737 billion yuan, and 5.526 billion yuan, respectively, an increase of 28.17%, 0.55%, and 42.63% year-on-year. The import and export growth rates of Liberia and Guinea are significant, with year-on-year increases of 2.34 times and 76.64% respectively.
The export performance of high value-added products is impressive. In the first half of the year, Fujian Province exported 14.745 billion yuan of electromechanical products to Africa, a year-on-year increase of 50.19%. Among them, the exports of automobiles and ships were 2.082 billion yuan and 2.519 billion yuan respectively, an increase of 41.77% and 1.81 times year-on-year. During the same period, food exports amounted to 3.738 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.92%.
Metal ore and mineral sand are still the largest commodities imported by Fujian Province from Africa. In the first half of the year, a total of 16.629 billion yuan was imported, a year-on-year increase of 35.76%, accounting for 61.04% of the total import value of Fujian Province to Africa during the same period. During the same period, imports of cotton, dried and fresh fruits, and nuts increased by 1.03 times and 19.85% respectively year-on-year, and high-quality agricultural products from Africa are accelerating their entry into the Fujian market.
Xiamen Customs officials stated that standing at a new starting point of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa, with the continuous release of zero tariff policy dividends and the continuous improvement of bilateral economic and trade cooperation mechanisms, Fujian's trade with Africa is expected to usher in broader development space, contributing more "Fujian strength" to the construction of a high-level China Africa maritime community.