Published Friday 13 November 2026 · Source: China customs data as relayed in the regional press; Bank of Central African States quarterly price note
Key Facts
- Jump: Exports to China reached US$1.056 billion in January to June 2026, against US$221 million a year earlier.
- Surplus: About US$738 million with China, the first in five years, say Chadian business reports.
- What: Crude oil leads, with gum arabic, a tree resin used in food, also exported.
- Why: Oil prices rose, but the jump is too large for price alone.
- Not known: No barrel volumes are published, so the split between price and volume is unclear.
Chad’s exports to China rose almost fivefold in the first half of 2026, reaching US$1.056 billion against US$221 million a year earlier. The figures come from China’s General Administration of Customs, the agency that records every shipment crossing China’s border.
The jump matters to US readers because Chad is an oil exporter in Central Africa, and crude and gum arabic are its main sales to China. The data do not break the rise down by product, so the oil share is not known.
Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa, with its capital in N’Djamena. It belongs to the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), a six-nation bloc whose central bank is the Bank of Central African States (BEAC).
What the Customs Data Show
China’s customs administration puts Chad’s exports to China at US$1.056 billion for January to June 2026, a rise of about 378%, or roughly 4.8 times. These are the first-half figures.
Chad’s imports from China were about US$318 million in the same half-year. That left Chad with a trade surplus with China of about US$738 million, said in Chadian business reports to be its first in five years.
Total trade between the two countries came to about US$1.37 billion in those six months, the sum of the two flows. Crude oil dominates what Chad sells to China, and gum arabic, a tree resin used in food, is the other export named.
Why the Numbers Jumped
Oil prices explain part of the story. Regional reports put the oil price at about US$62.1 a barrel in the fourth quarter of 2025 and US$75.7 in the first quarter of 2026, a gain of about 22%, citing a quarterly commodity price note of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC).
That is a quarterly price change, while the export rise compares six months with the same months a year earlier, so the two are not directly comparable. The size of the jump suggests that Chinese buying volumes rose too, which is our reading, because no barrel figures are published in the reports we have.
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), a Chinese state oil company, is a major operator in Chad’s oil sector. It works fields in the Bongor basin in south-west Chad and takes part in the Djermaya refinery near N’Djamena.
What It Means for You
For US oil buyers and traders, the data point to China as an increasingly important customer for a Central African producer, which is our reading. They do not show how many barrels are involved.
For anyone watching Chad’s finances, the numbers show how much weight oil sales carry in its trade. Our earlier coverage explains the economy’s oil dependence.
Our earlier coverage also looks at Chad and its neighbours in the Sahel, the semi-arid belt south of the Sahara. See all our Chad coverage and Africa coverage for more.
What Is Not Known
We do not know how many barrels were shipped, so we cannot split the rise between price and volume. Chad’s own export statistics for the same period are also missing from the reports we have.
It is not known whether the pace will continue in the second half of 2026. The split between China and other buyers of Chadian crude is also unknown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did China’s customs data show about Chad?
Chad’s exports to China reached US$1.056 billion in January to June 2026, against US$221 million a year earlier. That is a rise of about 378%, or roughly 4.8 times.
Why did Chad’s exports to China jump?
Higher oil prices helped, with regional reports citing a gain of about 22% between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. The rise is too big for price alone, so Chinese buying volumes may have grown too, which is our reading.
Who operates Chad’s oil fields?
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), a Chinese state oil company, is a major operator in Chad’s oil sector. It works the Bongor basin fields in south-west Chad.
Did Chad sell more to China than it bought?
Yes, in goods trade for January to June. Chad’s imports from China were about US$318 million, leaving a surplus of about US$738 million, said in Chadian business reports to be its first in five years.
Sources: General Administration of Customs of China, trade data for January to June 2026; Bank of Central African States (BEAC), quarterly commodity price note, as cited in regional business reports.
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