Trade between Africa and China surged in 2025, new data showed, helping drive increased use of the yuan in international commerce, a key priority for Beijing.

China’s recent decision to scrap tariffs on African imports led to an 18% jump in bilateral trade, a surge that comes as both China and the US vie for influence on the continent, especially in terms of control of Africa’s key mineral resources.

However, the Trump administration’s decision to cut aid to the continent while threatening steep new tariffs has pushed numerous African nations closer to Beijing. “We are going straight into the hands of China,” a Nigerian economist told CNN last year.