China has cemented its dominance as East Africa’s top trading partner, deepening economic interdependence with the bloc as overall trade hit record levels.

The EAC Secretariat reports that “China remained the leading source of imports, contributing US$ 4.7 billion or 24.2% of the total,” and was also one of the largest destinations for regional exports.

Together with the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Singapore, China “absorbed 62.8% of total EAC exports,” a sharp rise from 40.1% a year earlier. The EAC Secretariat said the performance “underscores the region’s growing specialization in high-value goods,” including copper, precious stones, coffee, tea, and mineral fuels.

Yet, analysts warn that such concentration exposes the EAC to external market shocks, as China’s demand fluctuations could have outsized effects on regional growth.

Trade economists echo these concerns. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reported in its 2025 Africa Trade Trends that Africa’s trade with China now accounts for nearly one-third of the continent’s total external trade, and the balance remains heavily skewed toward raw materials.

“China’s growing role in Africa’s export structure has deepened commodity dependence while limiting diversification,” the report said, urging regional blocs like the EAC to “strengthen intra-African supply chains to enhance resilience.”

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