Lusophone exports to China hit record high in first 8 months

According to a report from news agency Lusa, exports from Lusophone countries to China reached USD97.6 billion (MOP781.1b) between January and August, setting a new record for the period, according to data released Friday by the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macau).

This figure marks the highest level of exports to China for the first eight months of the year since Forum Macau began releasing customs data from China in 2013. Exports increased 4.9% from the same period in 2023, led by a 5.2% rise in sales from Brazil, the top Lusophone supplier to China, to USD81.5 billion (MOP652.3b).

Angola saw its exports to China climb 1.8% to USD12 billion (MOP96b). Meanwhile, Portugal’s exports jumped 11.4% compared to last year to reach USD2.09 billion (MOP16.7b). Most other Lusophone nations also increased shipments to China, including Mozambique, with a 25.5% rise to USD1.16 billion (MOP9.3b).

However, exports declined for Equatorial Guinea by 8% to USD838.5 million (MOP6.7b), while sales from East Timor (down 99%), Cape Verde (down 82.2%), and São Tomé and Príncipe (down 91.5%) also declined compared to 2023.

On the import side, Lusophone purchases from China set another record at USD58.5 billion (MOP 468.18b), a 19.7% annual gain. Brazil topped imports at USD49.5 billion (MOP396.15b), followed by Portugal at USD4.19 billion (MOP33.53b). Total trade between the regions amounted to USD156.1 billion (MOP1.25 trillion) in the first eight months, up 10% from 2023.
In April, Forum Macau hosted its sixth ministerial gathering, where officials endorsed a new action plan to guide the organization through to 2027. Victoria Chan