Lusophone exports to China hit record high through August
Trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries reached 156.7 billion euros in the first eight months of the year, the highest figure ever recorded for this period. The strong performance, driven largely by Brazilian commodity sales, marks a new milestone since the Fórum de Macau began compiling customs data in 2013.
Brazil powers the surge
The record result rests almost entirely on Brazilian exports, which account for the vast majority of lusophone trade with Beijing. Sales grew 25.1%, reaching €81 billion, spurred by sustained Chinese demand for soya, iron ore and crude oil.
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have pushed China to seek more secure energy suppliers, benefiting Brazil as an alternative oil source. In the first half of 2026 alone, China absorbed more than half of Brazilian exports of soya, iron ore, petroleum and beef.
Portugal and Angola show steady gains
Portugal saw a more modest increase. Exports rose 1.1% to hit €1.75 billion, maintaining the country's position as a stable trading partner within the bloc despite the absence of a commodity boom.
Angola posted stronger growth, with sales climbing 9.8% to reach €10.2 billion. The growth reflects continued Chinese appetite for African crude oil and mineral resources.
Equatorial Guinea also contributed to the upward trend, posting a 24.2% rise in exports, totalling €514.8 million.
Mozambique and São Tomé buck the trend
Not every country benefited from the trading boom.
Mozambique saw exports fall 19.3%, dropping to €787.8 million. The decline appears unrelated to the timber sector, which actually recorded a surge of more than 300% in processed wood exports in the first half of the year. Instead, the overall drop may stem from a 16% fall in fisheries exports in 2025 after a protocol guaranteeing access to the Chinese market expired. Officials in Maputo are now pushing to diversify exports towards agricultural products such as soya and sesame.
São Tomé and Príncipe recorded an 89.5% collapse in exports compared to the same period last year.
Smaller economies post dramatic jumps
The most striking percentage increase came from Timor-Leste. Exports rocketed from €39,000 to €1.97 million, a shift likely linked to efforts to diversify the economy beyond oil and gas. The country's entry into the World Trade Organisation in 2023 has provided a more stable framework for international trade, while Chinese infrastructure investments are gradually improving logistics capacity.
Cape Verde more than doubled its export figures, though the total value remains under €4,000.
China runs a trade deficit
Trade flows moved heavily in favour of lusophone countries. China recorded a deficit of €32 billion with the bloc.
The total two-way trade figure of €156.7 billion represents a 21.8% increase on the same period last year.
However, lusophone countries also increased their imports from China, purchasing €62.3 billion in goods — also a record for the January to August window. Brazil led these purchases at €51.1 billion, an increase of 22.4%, while Portugal's imports of Chinese goods rose 21.1% to reach €4.91 billion. Manufacturing equipment, electronics and machinery continue to dominate these import flows.
