In the first five months of the year, Jinhua in Zhejiang province reported a trade volume of 61.09 billion yuan ($8.52 billion) with Africa, reflecting a 21.2 percent year-on-year growth, according to Jinhua Customs on June 24.

The city's exports to Africa amounted to 57.92 billion yuan, with a 25.5 percent increase, representing 40.4 percent of Zhejiang's total exports to Africa and 9.7 percent of the country's total.

Jinhua's mechanical and labor-intensive products are well-received in the African market. Exports of mechanical products to Africa reached 26.87 billion yuan, a 23.1 percent year-on-year rise, while labor-intensive product exports were 21.12 billion yuan, marking a notable 29.7 percent growth.

The market procurement trade model has significantly contributed to expanding Jinhua's presence in Africa. From January to May, exports to Africa through this model increased by 27.5 percent to 48.43 billion yuan, accounting for 83.6 percent of the city's total exports to Africa.

With trade relations established with all African countries and regions, Jinhua continues to optimize its trade structures to expand its presence in the African market.

Data shows that more than 3,000 African merchants are permanently based in Yiwu, a county-level city in Jinhua known as the "world supermarket". Meanwhile, about 30,000 Jinhua natives are long-term businesspeople in Africa.

From January to May, Jinhua's top three trade partners in Africa were Nigeria, Algeria, and Egypt, with trade volumes totaling 4.76 billion yuan, 4.46 billion yuan, and 4.26 billion yuan, respectively. These countries are also the top three export markets, accounting for 23.1 percent of the total.

On the import side, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and South Africa were the leading contributors, making up 75.2 percent, 7.5 percent, and 4.3 percent of Jinhua's imports from Africa.