China–South Africa Bilateral Trade 2026
Monthly exports, imports, and trade balance Source: China General Administration of Customs (GACC) Monthly · USD Data as of: August 2026 Coverage 2018-2026
3 unusual source values are omitted from charts while we verify the official customs record.
Leading commodity chapters across the available monthly history — darker cells show higher trade value. Hover any cell for detail.
Top Export Categories to South Africa
2026-08 · USD
| HS 85: Electrical machinery and equipment | $467M |
| HS 87: Vehicles | $397M |
| HS 84: Machinery and mechanical appliances | $387M |
| HS 72: Iron and steel | $106M |
| HS 27: Mineral fuels and oils | $96.5M |
| HS 39: Plastics | $92.0M |
| HS 98: Commodity chapter | $87.6M |
| HS 73: Iron or steel articles | $75.3M |
Top Import Categories from South Africa
2026-08 · USD
| HS 26: Ores, slag and ash | $1.2B |
| HS 71: Precious stones and metals | $873M |
| HS 08: Edible fruit and nuts | $97.6M |
| HS 25: Salt; sulphur; stone | $93.5M |
| HS 74: Copper | $72.6M |
| HS 72: Iron and steel | $57.3M |
| HS 27: Mineral fuels and oils | $38.5M |
| HS 38: Miscellaneous chemicals | $29.4M |
Need the full file? Start with exact HS6/HS8 code orders, or choose a country-level package for all HS6/HS8 products from official China customs statistics.
Data notes
Monthly China–South Africa bilateral trade data covers exports, imports, and trade balance by HS commodity chapter, sourced from the China General Administration of Customs monthly statistical bulletin.
Source
Source: China General Administration of Customs (GACC)
Transformations: GACC values reported in USD thousands are converted to USD and formatted with K/M/B labels; the underlying monthly values are unchanged.
Citation
China South Africa bilateral trade data, monthly. General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC). https://chinadata.live/china-trade/south-africa/, accessed 2026-09-25.
Data notes
Monthly China–South Africa bilateral trade data covers exports, imports, and trade balance by HS commodity chapter, sourced from the China General Administration of Customs monthly statistical bulletin.
Source
Source: China General Administration of Customs (GACC)
Transformations: GACC values reported in USD thousands are converted to USD and formatted with K/M/B labels; the underlying monthly values are unchanged.
Citation
China South Africa bilateral trade data, monthly. General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC). https://chinadata.live/china-trade/south-africa/, accessed 2026-09-25.
What is China's Trade with South Africa in 2026?
In Aug 2026, China reported $2.6B in exports to South Africa and $2.6B in imports from South Africa. Bilateral goods trade totalled $5.2B for that month.
China South Africa Trade Balance & Trends
China recorded a $2.3M goods trade surplus with South Africa in Aug 2026. The balance is China’s exports minus China’s imports.
Historical China South Africa Trade Data (2018-2026)
Monthly bilateral trade data between China and South Africa covers HS commodity chapters and is sourced from China General Administration of Customs monthly statistical bulletins.
China South Africa Top Export & Import Categories
In Aug 2026, the leading published HS chapters for China’s exports to South Africa were Electrical machinery and equipment (HS 85, $467M); Vehicles (HS 87, $397M); Machinery and mechanical appliances (HS 84, $387M). In Aug 2026, the leading published HS chapters for China’s imports from South Africa were Ores, slag and ash (HS 26, $1.2B); Precious stones and metals (HS 71, $873M); Edible fruit and nuts (HS 08, $97.6M).
China–South Africa Annual Trade and Year-to-Date Totals
USD · GACC goods trade reported by China. Exports go from China to South Africa; imports go from South Africa to China. Balance is China’s exports minus imports, not the partner’s independently reported balance.
| Period | China exports | China imports | China balance | Months included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD (Jan–Aug) | $18.7B | $22.1B | -$3.4B | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug Imports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug |
| 2025 (full year) | $23.0B | $30.6B | -$7.6B | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Imports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec |
| 2024 (full year) | $21.8B | $30.8B | -$8.9B | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Imports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec |
| 2023 (full year) | $23.8B | $31.9B | -$8.1B | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Imports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec |
| 2022 (full year) | $24.2B | $32.5B | -$8.3B | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Imports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec |
| 2021 (full year) | $21.1B | $32.8B | -$11.7B | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Imports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec |
| 2020 (partial coverage) | $18.0B | $19.2B | — | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Imports: Jan, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec |
| 2019 (full year) | $16.6B | $25.9B | -$9.4B | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Imports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec |
| 2018 (full year) | $16.1B | $26.9B | -$10.8B | Exports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Imports: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec |
Totals sum available monthly values; missing or excluded values are not zero. Full year requires all 12 months in both flows. YTD requires January through the displayed month in both flows. Other rows are partial coverage. A balance is shown only when both flows cover identical months. Totals are calculated before rounding.
Research-ready country trade data
How to use China-South Africa trade data
Use this country page to move from headline China-South Africa trade totals into HS chapter patterns, monthly export and import changes, and the exact scoped file needed for product-level research.
Questions this page helps answer
- • What does China export to South Africa by HS category?
- • What does China import from South Africa by month?
- • Which HS code, flow, year, and format should be requested for a deeper file?
Public coverage: 2018-2026. Latest public month: 2026-08. Request a scoped file when you need HS6, quantity, or country-month rows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is China's trade with South Africa in 2026?
In Aug 2026, China reported $2.6B in exports to South Africa and $2.6B in imports from South Africa. Bilateral goods trade totalled $5.2B for that month.
What does China export to South Africa?
In Aug 2026, the leading published HS chapters for China’s exports to South Africa were Electrical machinery and equipment (HS 85, $467M); Vehicles (HS 87, $397M); Machinery and mechanical appliances (HS 84, $387M).
What does China import from South Africa?
In Aug 2026, the leading published HS chapters for China’s imports from South Africa were Ores, slag and ash (HS 26, $1.2B); Precious stones and metals (HS 71, $873M); Edible fruit and nuts (HS 08, $97.6M).
What is China’s trade balance with South Africa?
China recorded a $2.3M goods trade surplus with South Africa in Aug 2026. The balance is China’s exports minus China’s imports.
Where can I download China–South Africa trade data?
The public API exposes available monthly totals and HS chapter breakdowns. Full HS-level, quantity, selected-country, or CSV files can be requested as custom data.