Chinese imports jump 120 percent
Malawi imports from China jumped by a staggering 120 percent to $249 million in 2012, from $113 million in 2011, indicates available China-Africa trade data.
However, the data sourced from Trade Law Centre’s (Tralac) website indicates that Malawi’s exports to China marginally rose by a meager four percent from $46 million in 2011 to an anemic $48 million in 2012.
Surprisingly, according to the data, Malawi’s top 20 imports from China in 2012, included furniture, women’s and girls’ suits, and seats which are also manufactured locally.
However, commenting on what the country should do to improve its trade performance with China, Geoff Mkandawire, chairperson of National Working Group on Trade Policy, in a telephone interview said industries should work hard to pull up their performance.
“Chinese imports are subjected to a maximum imports duty, the MFN [Most Favoured Nations] which is at 25 percent. However, these imports are not subjected to any import licencing,” said Mkandawire.
Specifically, the country imported furniture and related items valued at $21 million, seats worth $17 million, and electric apparatus for line telephones at $14 million. Malawi also imported X-ray apparatus worth $11 million, women’s and girls’ suits at $9 million, and travel goods, bags and wallets at $9 million.
Malawi exports to China were tobacco leaf and unprocessed cotton, according to the data.
On a regional level, exports from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) fell by 14 percent from $20.1 billion in 2011 to $17.3 billion in 2012. However, Comesa imports from China jumped by 27 percent from $17.4 billion in 2011 to $22.2 billion in 2012.
However, the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) showed some resistance to Chinese trade, thanks to the robust South African economy. During the period, Sadc exports to China rose by about 35 percent from $61.3 billion to $82.7 billion. Notably, exports from South Africa to China rose by a whopping 39 percent $32 billion to $44.6 billion.
The Tralac data indicates that Sadc imports from China rose by 18 percent from $21.2 billion from 25.2 billion between 2011 and 2012.
In a synopsis provided by Tralac, noted that during the 2011/12 period, the value of total trade between China and Africa increased by 19 percent from approximately $166 billion in 2011 to approximately $198 billion in 2012.
Tralac notes that over these 12 months imports from Africa increased by 21 percent, while exports to Africa increased by only 17 percent. In value terms, imports increased by approximately $20 billion while exports increased by approximately $12 billion during this period.
According to Tralac the top 20 products imported by China from Africa in 2012 accounted for 96 percent of China’s total imports from all African countries, while the top five import products accounting for 89 percent of total African imports for the year. This indicates that China’s imports from African countries are highly concentrated. China’s key imports from Africa in 2012 were mineral products, base metals, precious stones and metals and textiles and clothing.
