Insights
The figures and tables on this page provide a glimpse at the allocation and composition of Chinese aid exports as well as their changes during the Covid-19 pandemic. They will be updated as later data become available.
We analyze aid export data from China’s General Administration of Customs more systematically in Fuchs et al. (2022c). In Fuchs et al. (2022a), we apply a similar methodology to investigate Chinese aid to Africa. For a discussion of China’s (commercial) exports of medical goods during the Covid-19 pandemic, see Fuchs et al. (2022b).
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Aid allocation
Most countries in the world have received aid exports from China since 2017. Out of the 195 countries in our sample, only 11 did not receive any aid. The top recipients were Cambodia (5.51%), Ethiopia (4.18%), Pakistan (4.06%), Tajikistan (3.81%), and Myanmar (3.43%).
Aid composition
China’s aid exports are diverse. While some product categories (such as iron and steel) are in line with the notion of China building infrastructure projects abroad, other product categories reflect specific world events. For example, pharmaceutical products became an important category during the Covid-19 pandemic. Below, we list the top ten product categories. The categories correspond to chapters of the Harmonized System used by customs administrations worldwide.
| HS Chapter | Description | Value (Mio. US$) | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Pharmaceutical products | 1028.9 | 21.7 |
| 90 | Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories | 573.8 | 12.1 |
| 85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers; television image and sound recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories of such articles | 473.2 | 10.0 |
| 84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 383.8 | 8.1 |
| 87 | Vehicles; other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 320.0 | 6.7 |
| 73 | Iron or steel articles | 280.8 | 5.9 |
| 10 | Cereals | 271.9 | 5.7 |
| 63 | Textiles, made up articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags | 257.2 | 5.4 |
| 72 | Iron and steel | 219.3 | 4.6 |
| 38 | Chemical products n.e.c. | 133.0 | 2.8 |
The Covid-19 pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic marked a turning point both for the composition and the allocation of China’s aid exports. Aid exports of medical goods surged at the expense of non-medical goods and several advanced economies, such as Germany and the USA, became recipients of masks, respirators, and other personal protective equipment. In 2021, vaccine deliveries dominated aid exports from China.
