Trade route overview

China exports to Zambia
route risk review

See the latest reported exports, the products that need a closer look, and the conditions that may make this route harder to plan.

CHN-ZMB2024 reported exports112 product typesHigh attention review level
Latest reported exports$898.7M2024 route total
Highest-priority products3Need the closest review
Products needing review84High-attention product types
Exports needing review99%Share of route exports
Overall review levelHigh attentionBased on available indicators

What this page shows

What should a business review on this route?

In 2024, China reported $898.7M in goods exports to Zambia. 84 product types are marked for closer review, covering 99% 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

Three simple ideas explain the route

This page separates the size of the trade from the conditions worth checking and the product types that make up the route.

01 - Trade value

How much is traded?

This is the reported value of goods exported from China to Zambia in the latest available year.

$898.7M in 2024
02 - Review level

What does "high attention" mean?

It 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% needs review
03 - Product code

What is a product type?

Each row is one HS6 product code. HS6 is the international six-digit code used to describe and compare traded goods.

112 product types

Start with the products

See the product rows behind the review level.

Compare the products, their buyer-market size, and the conditions that deserve a closer look.

Export history

How much was exported each year?

The latest twelve years of reported exports from China to Zambia. Bar lengths are relative to the highest year shown.

Latest annual total$1.5B2024 annual history
Highest year$1.5B2024 annual history
Latest below highest0%Difference from the highest year

Why this route needs review

What is behind the review signal?

A dollar amount can appear in more than one row. These rows show the conditions linked to the route; they are not separate losses.

What to reviewBar shows relative sizeExport value linked to it
Large year-to-year swings
$718.4M
Still below the previous high
$73.0M
Buyer demand is falling
$0.0
Product mix is concentrated
$704.6M
Tariffs and access rules
$898.7M
Buyer economy is under pressure
$898.7M

How to read the numbers

What do these measures tell us?

These measures describe yearly swings, the gap from the route's highest year, and how concentrated the product mix is.

Export volatility1.5Higher means bigger yearly swings
Below highest year15.5%Compared with the route's best year
Product concentration (HHI)287.90-10,000 scale; higher means fewer products dominate
Largest product share11%Share from the biggest product

Largest product

Tractors: road, for semi-trailers

Product code HS6 870120 makes up 11% of exports from China to Zambia. The main reason to review it is: Trade has varied substantially across reported years

See product rows
Exports of this product$98.8M2024 reported value

Products to review

Which product types need a closer look?

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.

Top product types10 shown - 2024 values
Top product types for China exports to Zambia
RankProduct and codeBuyer-market importsBelow product highYearly variationReview level
1Tractors: road, for semi-trailersHS6 870120 - six-digit product code$150.1M18.7%1.5High attention
2Vehicles: compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine (diesel or semi-diesel), for transport of goods, (of a g.v.w. exceeding 20 tonnes), nes in item no 8704.1HS6 870423 - six-digit product code$53.9M0%0.8High attention
3Electrical apparatus: photosensitive, including photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled in modules or made up into panels, light emitting diodesHS6 854140 - six-digit product code$52.6M0%1.9High attention
4Iron or steel: structures and parts thereof, n.e.s. in heading no. 7308HS6 730890 - six-digit product code$72.3M48.4%1.1High attention
5Electrical static convertersHS6 850440 - six-digit product code$51.2M0%1.5High attention
6Vehicles: dumpers, designed for off-highway use, for transport of goodsHS6 870410 - six-digit product code$119.2M33.8%1.8High attention
7Rubber: new pneumatic tyres, of a kind used on buses or lorriesHS6 401120 - six-digit product code$29.1M0%1.1High attention
8Steel, alloy: bars and rods, hot-rolled, hot-drawn or extrudedHS6 722830 - six-digit product code$24.4M23.3%1.1High attention
9Electric accumulators: lithium-ion, including separators, whether or not rectangular (including square)HS6 850760 - six-digit product code$39.6M0%3.3High attention
10Iron or non-alloy steel: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, painted, varnished or coated with plasticsHS6 721070 - six-digit product code$29.3M19.3%1.5High 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

What else can affect this route?

Distance, tariffs, trade agreements, the buyer economy, and business rules add context to the export total.

Distance between markets10,961 kmApproximate route distance
Trade agreement (FTA)NoReported agreement coverage
Average import tariff21.5%Average tax applied to imports
Buyer economy size$21.2B2024 gross domestic product
Buyer GDP per person$1.1KCurrent-dollar measure
Buyer economy outlookWeakenedAvailable buyer-economy context
Shared land borderNoDo the markets share a border?
Shared official languageNoReported common official language
Similar legal systemNoReported legal similarity
Shared religionNoReported cultural similarity
Language similarityNot reportedCommon spoken-language score
Business setup time9 daysDays to register a business

Questions about this page

Simple answers about this route

Definitions and limits for the figures above.

What does "high attention" mean?

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.

How much did China export to Zambia?

China reported $898.7M in goods exports to Zambia in 2024.

What does "exports needing review" mean?

99% of reported route exports are linked to product types marked for closer review. This points to where to investigate further.

What is an HS6 code?

An HS6 code is the international six-digit code used to describe and compare traded goods.

What conditions are shown?

The page shows yearly export changes, product concentration, tariffs, distance, trade-agreement coverage, buyer-economy context, and business setup time where reported.

Is this a forecast?

No. These are reported or calculated observations, not forecasts or guarantees.

Continue your research

Compare this route with products and markets.

Use the workspace to investigate which products, buyer conditions, and routes deserve attention.

Data source

OECD trade statistics with CEPII context

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.