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China, Nigeria trade still on the rise despite Covid-19 restrictions Jevans Nyabiage jevans.nyabiage@scmp.com Boxes move along a conveyor belt at a warehouse in China belonging to Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics subsidiary. Cainiao is launching its first cargo route between Hong Kong and Nigeria. Photo: Bloomberg
Thousands of Nigerians would regularly travel to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou to make business deals before the pandemic struck.
Nigeria, Africa s most populous country, buys more Chinese goods, including electronics, machinery and clothes, than any other African nation, followed by South Africa and Egypt. And for more than a decade China has been Africa s largest trading partner. That helps explain why Guangzhou, known for its trade deals and manufacturing hub, is home to a thriving community of around 16,000 Africans who work and/or study there, with most of them from Nigeria.
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Coronavirus: how Africa’s traders are making a long-distance relationship work with China Jevans Nyabiage
If it were not for the coronavirus, Samuel Karanja and the members of the association he represents, would be travelling to and from China to source products to sell in Nairobi.
Several times a year, Karanja, a trader and head of the Importers and Small Traders Association of Kenya, would take a direct flight from the Kenyan capital to southern China to source the wide variety of goods, from machinery to electronics and beauty products, available in the manufacturing hub.
But not any more.