Lusophone exports to China recorded the best start of the year ever, rising by 22.1% to USD 105.8 billion (EUR 94.3 billion) between January and August.
© Lusa
06/10/2026
by
Lusa
ANDthis is the highest value for the first eight months of a year since the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese Language Countries (Macao Forum) began to compile this data from China Customs Services in 2013.
Exports increased mainly due to Brazil, by far the largest Lusophone supplier in the Chinese market, whose sales grew 25.1%, to 90.9 billion dollars (81 billion euros), a new maximum for the period between January and August.
Sales of goods from Angola to China increased by 9.8% to $11.5 billion (EUR 10.2 billion), while exports from Portugal rose by 1.1% to USD 1.97 billion (EUR 1.75 billion).
The data show that most Portuguese-speaking countries exported more to China, including Equatorial Guinea, whose sales increased by 24.2% to USD 577.4 million (EUR 514.8 million).
The exceptions were Mozambique, whose exports to the Chinese market dropped by 19.3% to $883.6 million (EUR 787.8 million), while sales of São Tomé and Príncipe also fell by 89.5% compared to the period between January and August 2025.
On the contrary, the largest increase was recorded in East Timor's exports, from just $44,000 (EUR 39,000) to USD 2.23 million (EUR 1.97 million).
Cape Verde's sales more than doubled, although the country did not send more than $4,000 (EUR 3,600) to China in the first eight months of the year.
In the opposite direction, the Lusophone countries imported goods worth USD 69.9 billion (EUR 62.3 billion) from China, an annual increase of 21.3% and also a new record for the period between January and August.
Brazil was the largest Chinese trading partner in the Lusophone block, with imports rising by 22.4% to 57.4 billion dollars (51.1 billion euros), followed by Portugal, which bought US$5.5 billion (4.91 billion euros) from China, plus 21.1% more than in the first eight months of 2025.
All in all, trade between Portuguese-speaking countries and China reached USD 175.7 billion (EUR 156.7 billion) between January and August, an annual increase of 21.8% and a new maximum for the first eight months of the year.
China recorded a trade deficit of US$35.9 billion (32 billion) with the Lusophone block between January and August.