Togo-China Trade Reaches $4bn After Jump of 56% in Nine Months

Economy

Monday, 08 December 2025 11:07

Togo-China Trade Reaches $4bn After Jump of 56% in Nine Months

(Togo First) - Trade between China and Togo posted “unprecedented” growth in 2025, rising 56.4% in the first nine months of the year, Chinese Ambassador to Togo Wang Min said at a year-end press conference on Friday.

Bilateral trade reached a record $4 billion from January to September, she said. “This progress reflects greater confidence between our two countries and the strengthening of our comprehensive strategic partnership,” she added.

Togolese exports to China grew even faster, rising fivefold year-on-year, an increase of nearly 400%. The ambassador described this as evidence of “Togo’s renewed place in regional and global value chains,” supported by China’s gradual opening to African products.

This trend follows China’s zero-tariff policy on all eligible African product categories, announced at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). “Togo is among the countries benefiting fully from this measure,” Wang said.

One key development now concerns access for Togolese soybeans to the Chinese market, a process she said is in its final stages. Once health approvals and technical protocols are completed, Togo could become one of China’s new suppliers in a major global market.

Such a breakthrough would “create a major opportunity for Togolese producers,” the ambassador said, with potential to reshape the country’s agricultural export sector.

For Beijing, these results underscore Togo’s growing role in its West African engagement. “Our relations reached an important milestone in 2025,” Wang concluded, adding that the two countries still have “substantial untapped potential” for the years ahead.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.