In the first five months this year, Hunan’s trade value with African countries totaled 13.84 billion CNY, a year-on-year increase of 35.3%, according to data of the Changsha Customs. The digital transformation in Africa creates new opportunities for Hunan-Africa trade.

Changsha customs data analysis shows that, the potential of “digital Silk Road” has been unleashed. A report of the global system for mobile communication showed that, mobile communication penetration rate in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to increase from 45% in 2020 to 50% in 2025. Hunan will grasp the opportunity of digitalization in Africa. A Xiang-brand China-Africa e-commercial service platform has been set in the pilot free trade zone, to promote Chinese and African quality commodities online and offline, such as Ethiopia’s coffee, Mali’s butter, and Cameroon’s white pepper.

Since the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo was first held in Hunan in 2019, Hunan-Africa trade has maintained steady growth. The second expo will open in Changsha in late September this year. Trade, agriculture, investment and financing, cooperative industrial parks, and infrastructure will be highlighted, in a bid to further boost Hunan-Africa trade.

The Changsha Customs is striving to speed up the entry of African products into China. Rwanda’s dried chili can be imported after the foreign makers go through registering. The preliminary assessment of Madagascar’s mutton, Uganda’s beef, Kenya’s ass meat, Nigeria’s aquatic products, and Gambia’s peanuts, and entry assessment of Kenya’s anchovies and Tanzania’s aquatic products, have been completed. 

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn