• Bilateral trade reached $4 billion, up 56.4 % year on year
• Togo’s exports to China rose fivefold amid expanding FOCAC preferences
• Soybean access to China nears completion as export sectors diversify

Bilateral trade between Togo and China accelerated in 2025. According to data presented on Friday, December 5, by China’s ambassador to Lomé, Wang Min, trade between the two countries reached $4 billion over the first nine months of the year, up 56.4 % from the same period in 2024. This performance places China among Togo’s most dynamic commercial partners.

The sharpest increase came from Togolese exports to the Chinese market, which rose fivefold in one year, or about 400 %. This jump reflects China’s growing demand and the tariff preferences granted under the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Since 2024, China has applied a zero-tariff regime to 100 % of eligible products from African countries, a measure from which Togo fully benefits.

This momentum comes as several Togolese export sectors, including agriculture, raw materials, and processed goods, pursue gradual diversification. Chinese interest is opening new opportunities, particularly in agro-industry. One of the most advanced files concerns market access for Togolese soybeans: according to the ambassador, the approval process has now “entered its countdown,” signaling that the final technical steps are underway.

For Togo, this shift could be significant. The country, already well positioned in organic soybean exports to Europe, could soon tap into one of the world’s largest markets. For China, the expansion aligns with the consolidation of the comprehensive strategic partnership established with Lomé in 2024, which Beijing aims to deepen.

Fiacre E. Kakpo