China has solidified its position as one of Zimbabwe’s top three export destinations in 2025, reflecting deepening economic links and expanding opportunities for both nations amid a dynamic global trade landscape. According to ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s trade promotion agency, China accounted for 16.9 percent of Zimbabwe’s total exports from January to November 2025, a mark that places the Asian giant firmly alongside the United Arab Emirates and South Africa in the ranking of Zimbabwe’s leading markets.
The rise comes on the back of growing agricultural and mining exports, diversified trade protocols, and expanded diplomatic cooperation that have gradually enhanced market access for Zimbabwean producers in China’s vast consumer base. During the first 11 months of 2025, Zimbabwe recorded export earnings of US $8.57 billion, up 27 percent compared with 2024, driven by stronger demand across multiple sectors.
Zimbabwe’s relationship with China has increasingly moved beyond traditional commodities. While tobacco has long dominated exports to China, recent trade protocols have opened doors for horticultural products including citrus, avocados, and blueberries – positioning Zimbabwe to tap into China’s growing appetite for high-value agricultural goods.
ZimTrade CEO Allan Majuru has highlighted the “significant potential for growth” through expanded collaboration between the two governments, aimed at reducing informal trade leakages and improving returns for local farmers. These measures are intended to support Zimbabwe’s export drive, increase foreign exchange earnings, and elevate rural incomes.
China’s role in Zimbabwe’s export landscape reflects broader trends within Africa’s economic ties with Beijing. Across the continent, China has remained the largest trading partner for more than a decade, with bilateral trade reaching record highs and new frameworks, including zero-tariff initiatives and cross-border e-commerce cooperation, boosting trade flows.
The strengthening of trade relations between China and Zimbabwe dovetails with broader bilateral cooperation on investment, infrastructure and value-chain development. Chinese companies are major investors in Zimbabwe’s mining sector, particularly in lithium and other strategic minerals, where firms such as Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine Resource Group have committed significant capital to mining and processing facilities.
Infrastructure projects such as energy generation, transportation networks and industrial capacity upgrades have been central to the economic partnership. Zimbabwe has benefited from Chinese support in expanding power stations and modernising airports, contributing to economic resilience and improved connectivity that facilitate trade and investment.
The export of farm produce and strategic minerals to China is complemented by collaboration under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) framework. At the 2024 FOCAC Summit in Beijing, both sides agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a Global Strategic Partnership, emphasising shared economic goals, infrastructure cooperation, and institutional alignment to support intra-Africa and China-Africa value chains.
Despite this promising trajectory, analysts caution that Zimbabwe must continue to diversify its export base and build value-addition capacity to fully benefit from global and Chinese market access. Expanding into processed products, niche agricultural exports, and downstream mineral processing could help reduce vulnerability to commodity price fluctuations and enhance economic stability.
Furthermore, Zimbabwe’s broader export strategy includes market expansion beyond traditional destinations, with emerging trade corridors to Uganda, Kenya, Indonesia, Spain and Ethiopia gaining attention as export partners for local products.
China’s position as a top trading partner for Zimbabwe in 2025 highlights the maturing economic relationship between the two countries – one that is rooted not only in raw commodity exchange, but also in strategic cooperation and market integration. This development offers both Zimbabwe and China a platform to deepen economic ties, stimulate job creation, and foster sustainable growth that resonates with national development agendas on both sides.
As Zimbabwe navigates global competition for markets and investment, the country’s evolving relationship with China remains central to its export-driven growth strategy, advancing a long-term economic partnership with far-reaching implications for regional trade and industrial transformation.
