Yiwu's Africa exports up 30.18% to 135.9bn yuan in nine months; People's Daily puts Kenya among leading markets

Yiwu, the Zhejiang province city that trades in small commodities, exported 135.9 billion yuan of goods to Africa in January–September, up 30.18% from a year earlier, People's Daily reported on 9 November, citing data from the Yiwu Municipal Media Centre. CCTV.com and Wenhui Daily reported the same figure on 2 November and added that Yiwu International Trade City has opened branch markets in Angola and Tanzania.

Twenty-four African countries now each import more than 1 billion yuan a year from Yiwu, People's Daily reported. Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Egypt and Kenya are among the leading ones. In 2025, Yiwu's exports to Africa were 141.4 billion yuan, up 28.4% and about 8.78% of China's total exports to Africa.

The first African outlet of Yiwu Selection, a brand collection store that People's Daily says carries thousands of Yiwu products, is in Nairobi. Xinhua reported its opening on 30 August 2025.

Imports from Africa more than doubled: Yiwu bought 13.77 billion yuan of African goods in January–September, up 103.7%. Kenyan hand-carved woodwork has become a regular item in Chinese shoppers' baskets, People's Daily said, alongside Senegalese raffia hats, Madagascan handicrafts, South African pecans and Ethiopian coffee beans.

Since 1 May, China has applied zero tariffs to imports from all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties. From the start of the measure to the end of September, Yiwu's port accepted 665 import declarations claiming the preference, covering goods worth 555 million yuan, with 145 million yuan in duties waived.

The 2026 China–Africa Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum was held in Yiwu on 7 November. Activities including a China–Africa cultural Silk Road exchange month are to follow during the forum.