Summary
- China → Zambia
- $2billion
- Zambia → China
- $3billion
- China’s balance
- -$998million
Balance
China’s trade balance with Zambia
Trade between China and Zambia grew 228.2-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 2
- Imports 3
- Balance -1
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $20 million | $2 million | $18 million |
| 1996 | $10 million | $6 million | $5 million |
| 1997 | $13 million | $24 million | -$10 million |
| 1998 | $23 million | $6 million | $17 million |
| 1999 | $12 million | $18 million | -$6 million |
| 2000 | $29 million | $69 million | -$40 million |
| 2001 | $44 million | $36 million | $7 million |
| 2002 | $53 million | $38 million | $15 million |
| 2003 | $57 million | $47 million | $10 million |
| 2004 | $75 million | $184 million | -$109 million |
| 2005 | $95 million | $328 million | -$233 million |
| 2006 | $112 million | $335 million | -$222 million |
| 2007 | $201 million | $403 million | -$202 million |
| 2008 | $225 million | $639 million | -$414 million |
| 2009 | $184 million | $1.6 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 2010 | $331 million | $3.2 billion | -$2.8 billion |
| 2011 | $751 million | $3.6 billion | -$2.9 billion |
| 2012 | $867 million | $3.7 billion | -$2.9 billion |
| 2013 | $989 million | $2.8 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2014 | $890 million | $4.1 billion | -$3.2 billion |
| 2015 | $675 million | $2.5 billion | -$1.9 billion |
| 2016 | $613 million | $2.4 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2017 | $1.1 billion | $3.4 billion | -$2.2 billion |
| 2018 | $1.3 billion | $2.1 billion | -$719 million |
| 2019 | $1 billion | $1.9 billion | -$870 million |
| 2020 | $872 million | $2 billion | -$1.1 billion |
| 2021 | $920 million | $2.3 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 2022 | $1.4 billion | $2.9 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 2023 | $1.7 billion | $2.3 billion | -$662 million |
| 2024 | $2 billion | $3 billion | -$998 million |
What they sell each other
What China sells to Zambia
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
What Zambia sells to China
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
How it travels
The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Durban (South Africa) is 7,195 nautical miles (13,325 km) long: ≈ 16.5–21.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).
Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore.
Zambia is landlocked: it ships through Durban (South Africa).
Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.
Split by transport mode
Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.
How much each matters to the other
Zambia was China’s 91st largest trading partner (0.1% of its trade), and China was Zambia’s largest (19%).
- Zambia in China’s trade
- 0.1%
- Zambia’s rank among China’s partners
- 91st
- China in Zambia’s trade
- 18.9%
- China’s rank among Zambia’s partners
- 1st
Compare with
Other partners of China
Other partners of Zambia
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- World Bank, Global Shipping Traffic Density · CC BY 4.0 (route network derived by this site)
- World Port Index (NGA) · Public domain (US Government work)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.