The value of exports from Portuguese-speaking countries to China reached a record-breaking US$35 billion during the first three months of this year, an increase of almost 24 percent year-on-year, according to Chinese customs data.
According to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, the figure represents the highest first quarter export total for Lusophone countries since Forum Macao began publishing such data in 2013.
The strong performance was largely due to Brazil, which continued to hold its dominant position as China’s leading trade partner in the Lusosphere, with its exports totalling around US$29 billion, an increase of almost 26 percent. In total, Brazil accounted for nearly 83 percent of the total exports from Lusophone countries.
In second place was Angola, which sold US$4.3 billion worth of goods to China in the first trimester, a growth of 9.6 percent in comparison to the corresponding period last year.
[See more: Trade between China and Brazil continues rise in 2024]
Portugal’s exports reached roughly US$7.4 million, a rise of 5.4 percent in relation to the same period last year. Mozambique exported around US$4 million worth of goods to China, an increase of nearly 27 percent year-on-year.
Overall, the data shows that seven out of the nine Portuguese-speaking countries listed saw an increase in their first quarterly exports to China. The exceptions were Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe.
With respect to imports for the first quarter, Portuguese countries took US$19.2 billion worth of goods from China, an increase of around 12 percent year-on-year. Brazil remained the biggest buyer of Chinese products, with imports valued at US$16 billion – a surge of almost 22 percent in comparison to the first quarter of 2023.
Overall, trade between Lusophone countries and China grew by over 19 percent, reaching a total of around US$54 billion, with the latter recording a trade deficit of approximately US$16 billion.
