A view of Lianyungang Port (CFP)

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, with Jiangsu Province emerging as a key trade partner with the continent.

Jiangsu’s foreign trade with Africa reached 111.3 billion yuan in the first seven months of this year, marking a year-on-year increase of 27.5%, according to Nanjing Customs. This growth rate was 19.4 percentage points higher than the overall expansion of the province’s foreign trade during the same period.

Specifically, the province’s imports and exports with Africa rose by 59% and 19%, respectively.

Private enterprises contributed to more than 60% of Jiangsu’s foreign trade with Africa, achieving a year-on-year growth of 37.1%. Additionally, Jiangsu’s exports of mechanical and electrical products increased by 27.7% during the period, accounting for 62.4% of the province’s total export value.

In the first seven months, Jiangsu’s imports of copper, metal ores and wooden products from Africa reached over 12.9 billion yuan, 7.2 billion yuan and 2 billion yuan, respectively, collectively accounting for 75.8% of Jiangsu’s total imports from Africa.

Meanwhile, Jiangsu’s imports of agricultural products from Africa amounted to nearly 1.8 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 38.2%. Notably, Kunshan imported 100 million yuan of raw coffee beans from Africa, reflecting a growth of 14.5% year-on-year.