In China's official trade data, several categories are in fact named. If you buy across several categories, you need to see what the data actually says, and what you must nail down before you ask for a quote.
Which Categories the Official Data Actually Names
Start with the totals: China's exports to Africa for the full year 2025 were USD 225.031 billion, up 25.8% year on year; total China-Africa trade was USD 348.052 billion, up 17.7%. In the first quarter of 2026, exports to Africa were USD 60.661 billion, up 32.1%; two-way trade was USD 92.255 billion, up 26.8%.
But country-level performance varies widely, so treat every figure below as a category-level signal, not as a promise for your market.
Mechanical and electrical products — the largest of the named categories. In the first half of 2026, China's exports of mechanical and electrical products to Africa were RMB 534.11 billion, up 28.8% year on year.
The same official briefing also names photovoltaic products, power transmission and transformation equipment, general machinery and auto parts as exports to Africa that kept good growth momentum.
There is a ceiling to state clearly here: the source lists these as examples within the mechanical and electrical products category; it does not give a growth rate for any single product family among them. So do not quote "some single product at +XX%" — that number does not exist.
Home appliances
On the Yiwu basis, home appliance exports for the full year 2025 were RMB 20.45 billion, up 23.6%. This is the total for the category as exported from Yiwu, not a figure specific to Africa, and not a statement about any particular appliance category.
Hardware and tools
An official report on Yiwu's trade with Africa cited this judgement: "the African market has large demand for products such as mechanical equipment and hardware tools". That is a category named in a government source's report, and no more than that; there is nothing finer.
Labour-intensive products
Jinhua (which includes Yiwu) exported RMB 57.92 billion to Africa in January-May 2025, up 25.5%. By category: mechanical and electrical products RMB 26.87 billion (up 23.1%, 46.4% of the total), labour-intensive products RMB 21.12 billion (up 29.7%, 36.5% of the total). "Labour-intensive products" is an aggregate concept — do not read a specific single product into it.
One thing the data cannot do: Chinese official statistics have no sub-category for "home storage". That group has no growth rate and no trend figure, so we do not cite one.
Home Appliances: Five Things to Nail Down Before Asking for a Price
First, the voltage and plug of the destination market. Confirm the exact voltage and plug standard used in your market, and have the supplier state in writing which configuration they will ship.
Second, the capacity and size range. Litres or kilograms, which model sizes you need, and whether the series is continuous.
Third, certification documents. Ask the supplier whether certification documents can be issued for this model. Certificates are issued by the partner factory, and we check these documents against the requirements of your target market; certificates and test reports can be provided as needed.
Fourth, packaging format and shipping marks. These two matter as much as the product itself — confirm the packaging format, the carton dimensions, and the exact shipping marks you want printed.
Fifth, spare parts and wear parts. Which parts are consumable, and whether they can be supplied with the order.
Hardware and Tools: Five Things to Nail Down Before Asking for a Price
First, material and surface treatment. What the base material is, how the surface is treated, and how long that treatment lasts in your climate.
Second, which working part fails first. Ask "which part fails first under normal use", and whether the supplier can produce test records for that part.
Third, the structure of the handle and grip. How the handle is fixed to the working part, and what material the grip is made of — this one is listed separately.
Fourth, how a set is assembled and counted. How many pieces per set, how many sets per carton, and how the carton is marked.
Fifth, one rule that applies across all categories: any figure the supplier has not confirmed is treated as unconfirmed until it is confirmed.
This data supports you down to the level of category names, not down to single-product growth rates. So when you ask for a quote, do not negotiate with a growth rate that does not exist — confirming the two sets of "things to nail down" above, item by item, is more useful than citing any number.