Trade route overview
See the latest reported exports, the products that need a closer look, and the conditions that may make this route harder to plan.
What this page shows
In 2024, China reported $19.6B in goods exports to South Africa. 900 product types are marked for closer review, covering 99.7% of reported exports. This is not a forecast and does not mean trade will stop. It shows where to look more closely at demand, annual changes, product mix, tariffs, and buyer-market conditions.
How to read this page
This page separates the size of the trade from the conditions worth checking and the product types that make up the route.
This is the reported value of goods exported from China to South Africa in the latest available year.
$19.6B in 2024It marks product types where one or more conditions deserve a closer look. It is not a prediction, a guaranteed loss, or a warning that trade will stop.
99.7% needs reviewEach row is one HS6 product code. HS6 is the international six-digit code used to describe and compare traded goods.
1,105 product typesStart with the products
Compare the products, their buyer-market size, and the conditions that deserve a closer look.
Export history
The latest twelve years of reported exports from China to South Africa. Bar lengths are relative to the highest year shown.
Why this route needs review
A dollar amount can appear in more than one row. These rows show the conditions linked to the route; they are not separate losses.
How to read the numbers
These measures describe yearly swings, the gap from the route's highest year, and how concentrated the product mix is.
Largest product
Product code HS6 851712 makes up 6.4% of exports from China to South Africa. The main reason to review it is: A small number of products or suppliers carry much of the route.
See product rowsProducts to review
Each row is one six-digit HS6 product code. Compare the buyer market's imports, the product's fall from its highest year, annual variation, and review level.
| Rank | Product and code | Buyer-market imports | Below product high | Yearly variation | Review level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networksHS6 851712 - six-digit product code | $1.8B | 1.8% | 0.7 | High attention |
| 2 | Data processing machines: portable, digital and automatic, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a displayHS6 847130 - six-digit product code | $819.0M | 30.7% | 0.7 | High attention |
| 3 | Electric accumulators: lithium-ion, including separators, whether or not rectangular (including square)HS6 850760 - six-digit product code | $572.6M | 75.5% | 2.6 | Critical attention |
| 4 | Communication apparatus (excluding telephone sets or base stations): machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatusHS6 851762 - six-digit product code | $960.8M | 10.2% | 0.8 | High attention |
| 5 | Electrical apparatus: photosensitive, including photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled in modules or made up into panels, light emitting diodesHS6 854140 - six-digit product code | $416.9M | 55.8% | 1.4 | Critical attention |
| 6 | Vehicles: with only spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine, cylinder capacity over 1000 but not over 1500ccHS6 870322 - six-digit product code | $1.5B | 0% | 1.6 | High attention |
| 7 | Electrical static convertersHS6 850440 - six-digit product code | $585.4M | 55.2% | 1.3 | Critical attention |
| 8 | Footwear: n.e.s. in heading no. 6402, (other than just covering the ankle), with outer soles and uppers of rubber or plasticsHS6 640299 - six-digit product code | $383.3M | 21.1% | 0.5 | High attention |
| 9 | Electric generating sets: wind-powered, (excluding those with spark-ignition or compression-ignition internal combustion piston engines)HS6 850231 - six-digit product code | $340.1M | 0% | 1.4 | High attention |
| 10 | Vehicles: spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity exceeding 1500cc but not exceeding 3000ccHS6 870323 - six-digit product code | $570.4M | 0% | 1.6 | High attention |
Buyer-market imports are total imports of that product into the buyer market, not only exports from China. "Below product high" compares current exports with that product's highest reported year. Yearly variation is a calculated measure. Swipe sideways on a small screen to see every column.
Trade route conditions
Distance, tariffs, trade agreements, the buyer economy, and business rules add context to the export total.
Questions about this page
Definitions and limits for the figures above.
High attention means one or more conditions on these product types deserve a closer look. It is not a prediction that trade will stop or that a loss is certain.
China reported $19.6B in goods exports to South Africa in 2024.
99.7% of reported route exports are linked to product types marked for closer review. This points to where to investigate further.
An HS6 code is the international six-digit code used to describe and compare traded goods.
The page shows yearly export changes, product concentration, tariffs, distance, trade-agreement coverage, buyer-economy context, and business setup time where reported.
No. These are reported or calculated observations, not forecasts or guarantees.
Explore next
Use these pages when you need more detail before making a market or route decision.
Continue your research
Use the workspace to investigate which products, buyer conditions, and routes deserve attention.
Data source
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-29). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.