According to statistics released by Changsha Customs, Hunan Province recorded 44.52 billion CNY in trade with Africa in the first three quarters of 2025, up 19.4 percent year-on-year. Exports stood at 21.21 billion CNY, up 8.3 percent, while imports reached 23.31 billion CNY, an increase of 31.7 percent.

During the period, Hunan traded with 57 African partners. South Africa remained the province’s largest trading partner in Africa, with trade volume totaling 11.3 billion CNY, accounting for 25.4 percent of Hunan’s total trade with the continent. Meanwhile, trade with Mozambique, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Guinea, and Sierra Leone reached 1.92 billion CNY, 1.83 billion CNY, 1.29 billion CNY, 970 million CNY, and 810 million CNY respectively, representing increases of 329.7 percent, 127 percent, 180.4 percent, 106.2 percent, and 344 percent.

Imports of bulk commodities reached 10.97 billion CNY in the first three quarters, an increase of 86.1 percent year-on-year, accounting for 47.1 percent of Hunan’s total imports from Africa during the period. Among them, imports of metal ores and concentrates were valued at 9.67 billion CNY, up 64 percent; imports of natural and synthetic rubber amounted to 830 million CNY, a surge of 162.2 percent; and imports of agricultural products totaled 390 million CNY, rising 12.7 percent.

Mechanical and electrical products continued to be the major export category in Hunan’s trade with Africa. In the first three quarters, exports of such products were valued at 12.24 billion CNY, up 17.1 percent year-on-year. Exports of the “new three” products of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products soared to 690 million CNY, representing a growth of 462.4 percent, while exports of food products reached 360 million CNY, rising 55.2 percent.

Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, has successfully hosted four sessions of the China–Africa Economic and Trade Expo, which has become an important platform for promoting China–Africa economic and trade cooperation. Hunan is encouraged to further explore new models of cross-border industrial capacity cooperation between China and Africa, support “Hunan enterprises” and “Hunan products” in expanding their global reach, and enhance industrial and supply chain linkages with African partners through initiatives such as establishing overseas and bonded warehouses in key African cities and ports.

(By Zeng Linghui and Hu Xuan)