Hunan-Africa trade maintains a strong momentum of growth. The Changsha Customs data shows that, between January and October this year, Hunan’s total value of trade with Africa amounted to 32.05 billion yuan, making a year-on-year growth of 46.2%.

South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt was the three largest trade partners in Africa. The Hunan-South Africa trade value was 13.64 billion yuan, increasing by 40.7% over last year, and taking up more than 40% of Hunan’s total trade with Africa. Hunan’s trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Algeria surged, with a growth rate of 86.8% and 100% respectively.

As of the commodities, Hunan mainly exported labor intensive products and mechanical and electrical products to Africa. Hi-tech product export showed a relatively rapid growth of 109.4%. Metal and ore sand were major imported goods, accounting for 71.3% of Hunan’s total imports from Africa during the same period.

The expansion of Hunan’s logistics channel to Africa and the 2nd China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo gave a great driving force to Hunan’s rising of trade with Africa. In 2021, the Hunan-Guangdong-Africa rail-sea express train was launched, providing an “inland-to-inland” and “door-to-door” logistics service. The transportation time from Hunan to the ports in eastern Africa had been shortened by about 10 days. Two new flight routes – Changsha-Luanda (Angola) and Changsha-Abuja (Nigeria) – opened, providing more logistics options for trade with Africa.

During the 2nd China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, Hunan enterprises stole the limelight for their in-depth economic and trade cooperation with Africa. For example, the Hunan Road and Bridge Group reached financial support agreements with Kenya and Benin for their infrastructure construction projects. Changde promoted its fishery industry to several African countries. The 104-hectare hybrid rice technology demonstration base in Nigeria’s Jigawa State, jointly operated by the Yuan's Hi-tech Seed Co., Ltd., will lead local farmers to participate in growing rice through the exemplary role of high yield cultivation. 

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

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn