China remains EAC's largest trading partner as Q2 regional trade hits 52.3 bln USD

China remained the largest individual trading partner of the East African Community (EAC) in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, as the region's total trade rose 37 percent year on year to 52.3 billion U.S. dollars.

According to the EAC Quarterly Statistics Bulletin released on Wednesday, EAC exports to China nearly doubled from 5.7 billion dollars in the second quarter of 2025 to 10.7 billion dollars in the second quarter of 2026, largely driven by mineral commodities and other raw materials.

Imports from China also increased to 7.1 billion dollars from 4.7 billion dollars a year earlier, the bulletin showed.

Overall EAC exports increased 41.3 percent to 26.3 billion dollars, while imports grew 32.9 percent to 26 billion dollars.

The region recorded a trade surplus of 300 million dollars, compared with a deficit of 945.3 million dollars in the same quarter of 2025, according to the bulletin.

Intra-EAC exports grew 33.2 percent to 3.2 billion dollars, while their share of total exports declined to 12.1 percent from 12.8 percent.

Copper and precious metals accounted for 61.9 percent of total exports, underscoring the region's continued reliance on mineral commodities, while coffee, tea and spices remained key agricultural exports.

Meanwhile, annual headline inflation across the EAC declined from 11.1 percent in April to 7.8 percent in June, while broad money supply grew 15.3 percent year on year to 107.7 billion dollars. ■