The acceleration is explained by the surge in Chadian exports, which increased by nearly 5 times over the past year to reach $1.056 billion in deliveries of crude oil and gum arabic, compared to $318.24 million in imported manufactured goods. As a result, N'Djamena's trade balance shows an unprecedented surplus of $738 million, breaking with five years of deficit.

The Congo maintains its position as Beijing's top regional partner, with $3.6 billion in trade flows driven by sales of crude oil, timber, and minerals valued at $2.78 billion, compared to $907.2 million in purchases. Gabon follows a similar trend with $1.62 billion in exports of manganese, oil, and forest products, compared to $395.5 million in imports. Equatorial Guinea closes the group of beneficiary nations thanks to $404.2 million in hydrocarbon deliveries, compared to $93.17 million in Chinese goods.

However, the structure of trade reveals a striking contrast with the diversified economies of the community bloc. Cameroon has the largest trade deficit in the region, stuck at $2.16 billion due to limited sales of $166.6 million (cocoa, cotton, rubber, timber) wiped out by $2.33 billion in imports of Asian equipment. Similarly, the Central African Republic records a negative balance with deliveries of timber and minerals capped at $23.7 million, compared to $60.45 million in purchases.

The asymmetry of trade balances highlights the structural dependence of the sub-region on global commodity prices. While hydrocarbon extraction provides temporary monetary surpluses to producing states, the predominance of low-value transformed agricultural products condemns other members to ongoing trade debt. Local industrial valorization of resources is the only way to durably rebalance the terms of exchange with the world's second-largest economic power.


BCN

Tags: commerce international chine cemac economie africaine balance commerciale investissements marche mondial hydrocarbures commerce exterieur