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Strategic Lens

Supply chains and manufacturing: China and South Africa

First country

Second country

In 2025, China sold USD 6.89 billion of machinery, vehicles and iron and steel to South Africa and bought USD 935 million from it.

Benefits

  • BothTwo-way trade in machinery, vehicles and iron and steel grew 54 percent, from USD 5.07 billion in 2019 to USD 7.82 billion in 2025.

Constraints

  • BothFlows are one-sided: in 2025, China sold USD 6.89 billion of machinery, vehicles and iron and steel, against USD 935 million the other way.

Sources: UN Comtrade (public preview API), annual goods trade, HS classification (retrieved 26 September 2026)

Last updated on 26 September 2026

The numbers

China's exports to South Africa: machinery, vehicles and iron and steel

USD billion · 2019 to 2025, calendar years, as reported by China

2019: 3.44Low 3.13 / High 6.892025: 6.89

20193.44
20203.13
20214.98
20225.54
20235.14
20245.88
20256.89

Sources: UN Comtrade (public preview API), annual goods trade, HS classification (retrieved 26 September 2026)

Data retrieved 26 September 2026

China's imports from South Africa: machinery, vehicles and iron and steel

USD billion · 2019 to 2025, calendar years, as reported by China

2019: 1.63Low 0.94 / High 2.132025: 0.94

20191.63
20201.32
20211.49
20221.4
20232.13
20241.95
20250.94

Sources: UN Comtrade (public preview API), annual goods trade, HS classification (retrieved 26 September 2026)

Data retrieved 26 September 2026

← China and South Africa