Zimbabwe-China trade surges to US$4,4bn as Harare posts surplus

Innocent Madonko in BEIJING, China

TRADE between Zimbabwe and China has soared from about US$1,882 billion in 2021 to US$4,408 billion in 2025, with Harare recording a trade surplus anchored on exports of minerals, particularly lithium concentrate, to Beijing.

Figures released by the Ministry of Commerce here indicate that Zimbabwe, Africa’s biggest lithium producer, is now the world’s second largest exporter of spodumene (lithium concentrate) to China after Australia.

In 2025, China’s imports from Zimbabwe totalled US$2,573 billion, an increase of 4,9 percent from the prior year, while its exports to Harare were US$1,835 billion — representing a trade deficit of US$738 million.

In the first seven months of this year, Zimbabwe’s exports to China rose by 55,1 percent, turning a trade deficit of US$799,5 million into a surplus of US$65,6 million, with the main driving forces being steel exports by Dinson Iron and Steel Company at Manhize and the rapid expansion of Zimbabwe’s horticultural exports to China under Beijing’s zero tariff policy with effect from May 1, 2026.

“Exports from Zimbabwe to China in the period surged by 142,4 percent to US$1,44 billion, and China’s share of Zimbabwe’s total exports rose from 12,5 percent to 19,6 percent” said the Chinese Commerce Ministry.

“With the newly signed phytosanitary protocol, the Chinese market opened up more for fresh products from Zimbabwe such as citrus, avocados and blueberries. Horticultural exports rose by 6 percent to US$37 million, among which blueberry products nearly doubled to US$8,5 million.

“The main import commodities from Zimbabwe to China are minerals, tobacco, stone and ferrochrome. In addition, there was a big increase in the importation of cotton, fruits and nuts. From 2023, Zimbabwe started to export oranges to China”.

It said the main export commodities from China to Zimbabwe were machinery and equipment, electrical goods, vehicles and parts, and steel products.

There are also rubber, plastics and chemicals.

Delivering a lecture on China-Zimbabwe Bilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation to senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care who are attending a two-week seminar on Public Health Management here yesterday, the Minister Counsellor from the Department of West Asian and African Affairs in China’s Ministry of Commerce, Mr Han Bing, said that since 2011, Zimbabwe had become a “hotspot” for Chinese investment in Africa.

“China has been the largest source of foreign investment in Zimbabwe for many years. From 2019 to June 2022, China’s FDI in Zimbabwe took 76 percent of the country’s total FDI in the same period.

“Total China FDI to Zimbabwe exceeded US$10 billion by 2025, creating millions of jobs and contributing hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue annually,” he said.

The major Chinese lithium mining companies in Zimbabwe comprise Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, which operates Arcadia Lithium in Goromonzi where it has invested more than US$1 billion for mining and processing of ore.

The company has ploughed US$400m into Africa’s first lithium sulphate plant with a capacity of 50 000 tonnes per year. It began operations in April this year and has since shipped its first consignment of the value-added product to its parent company in China.

There is also Sinomine Resources Group, which runs Bikita Minerals in Masvingo province. It has a total investment of US$2,79 billion and is building a lithium sulphate plant with a capacity of 100 000 tonnes per year, expected to begin operations next year.

Other lithium mines include the Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group-operated Kamativi mine in Matabeleland North, where a lithium sulphate plant with a capacity of 75 000 tonnes per year is being built.

Sabi Star Mine, owned by Chengxin Lithium Group in Murambinda, produces 290 000 tonnes of lithium concentrate per year.

Mr Han, who served as China’s economic Counsellor at the country’s Embassy in Zimbabwe between 2011-2014, said Harare’s lithium export earnings surged from US$1,8 million in 2018 to US$500million in 2025, and are projected to reach US$1 billion in 2026.

He said Zimbabwe’s lithium mining industry earned US$746 million in exports in the first half of 2026.

“Zimbabwe is China’s second largest source of lithium concentrate imports. In 2025, imports from Zimbabwe occupied about 15,54 percent of China’s total lithium imports,” Mr Han said.

He commended Chinese miners for their considerable investments in value addition of lithium, saying this would lead to win-win scenario between the host country and investors.

Chinese companies have also invested heavily in power generation at Hwange and Kariba power stations, as well as infrastructure, such as the upgrading of the Robert Mugabe and Victoria Falls International Airports.

In agriculture, Chinese merchants are among the biggest buyers of Zimbabwe’s tobacco through companies such as Tian Ze Tobacco Pvt Ltd.

Wanjin Agricultural Development Company Ltd was set up in 2010 to develop 500 000 hectares of land for wheat, maize, soya bean, tobacco and other cash crops. Other Chinese companies are into cotton and inputs supply.

Source: Zimbabwe-China trade surges to US$4,4bn as Harare posts surplus – herald

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