Trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries broke more records in August, continuing a strong upward rise for the year, according to data published by Forum Macao.
Portuguese-speaking countries exported US$97.6 billion in goods to China in the first eight months of the year, the highest value for the January to August period since Forum Macao began releasing this type of data from the Chinese Customs Services in 2013. The nearly 5-percent increase in exports was driven by Brazil, China’s biggest trade partner in the bloc, which set its own record for the period with US$81.5 billion in sales, up 5.2 percent over 2023. Lusophone imports of Chinese goods also set a record for the first eight months of the year, up 19.7 percent over last year to US$58.5 billion.
In total, trade between China and the lusophone world reached US$156.05 billion in the first eight months of 2024, a new record for the period, up 10 percent over 2023.
[See more: China is the main strategic partner for Lusophone countries: Mozambique trade official]
Most Portuguese-speaking countries saw their exports to China rise. Brazil led the pack, followed by Angola (up 1.8 percent) with US$12.04 billion, Portugal (up 11.4 percent) with US$2.09 billion and Mozambique, which saw the biggest jump (up 25.2 percent) at US$1.16 billion).
The smaller nations fared worse in the first eight months of the year as Timor-Leste (down 99 percent), Cabo Verde (down 82 percent) and São Tomé and Príncipe (down 91.5 percent) all saw precipitous drops in exports to China.
Brazil dominated imports as well (US$49.5 billion), followed by Portugal (US$4.19 billion), Angola (US$2.87 billion) and Mozambique (US$2.26 billion). In total, China recorded a trade deficit of US$39.1 billion with the lusophone bloc for the January to August period this year.
