Zimbabwe’s exports to China surge 142.4 per cent to US$1.44 billion in the first seven months of 2026, according to figures from China’s Ministry of Commerce cited by The Herald, a TV BRICS partner.
China’s share of Zimbabwe’s total exports rises from 12.5 per cent to 19.6 per cent. A newly signed phytosanitary protocol further opens the Chinese market to Zimbabwean fresh produce, including citrus, avocados and blueberries. Horticultural exports increase by 6 per cent to US$37 million, while blueberry exports nearly double to US$8.5 million.
Minerals remain a major component of Zimbabwe’s exports to China, alongside stone and ferrochrome. Zimbabwe is also China’s second-largest source of lithium concentrate imports, accounting for about 15.54 per cent of China’s total lithium concentrate imports in 2025.
Zimbabwe’s lithium export earnings rise from US$1.8 million in 2018 to US$500 million in 2025 and are projected to reach US$1 billion in 2026. The country’s lithium mining industry generates US$746 million in export earnings in the first half of this year.
Trade between Zimbabwe and China reaches US$4.408 billion in 2025, up from about US$1.882 billion in 2021. China imports US$2.573 billion worth of goods from Zimbabwe during the year, while exports to Zimbabwe total US$1.835 billion, leaving Harare with a US$738 million trade surplus.
Chinese companies are also expanding their investments in Zimbabwe’s lithium sector. China remains a major source of investment for Zimbabwe, with Chinese foreign direct investment exceeding US$10 billion by 2025, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce. Chinese companies are also active in power generation, infrastructure and agriculture, including tobacco, cotton and crop production.