Malawi doubles trade with China

29/04/2011
Malawi's ministry of trade has said that the value of bilateral of trade with China doubled between 2007 and 2010, reaching $100 million. South Africa is still, by far, Malawi’s largest trading partner, with trade valued at $3.2 billion per year.

Nevertheless, the government in Lilongwe has said it is encouraged by the speed of growth in trade with China since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 2007. Before then, Malawi had trade ties to Taiwan, which it relinquished to deal with China instead.

At the time of the initial agreement, China said helping Malawi improve its trade in hides and skins, including processing the raw material on home soil, was one of the areas it would concentrate on.