Cargo to Africa

What Africa Buys from the UAE and Hong Kong: Top Products and HS Codes

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:55:33 GMT

Ask a trader in Dubai and a trader in Hong Kong what they ship to Africa, and you will get two very different answers. Dubai talks about fuel, cars and building materials. Hong Kong talks about phones and laptops.

That difference matters if you are choosing what to source and where to source it from. So we pulled the trade data for both routes and matched the biggest product groups to their HS codes.

One warning before the numbers. The figures below come from different sources and different years, and they don't always agree. Use them to see which products lead each route, not as exact market sizes.

The short version

From the UAE: refined petroleum leads by a long way, followed by vehicles, electronics, copper wire and plastics.
From Hong Kong: telecoms equipment and computers make up most of the trade, and most of those goods are made elsewhere and re-exported.
The practical split: the UAE route suits heavy, bulky and mixed cargo. Hong Kong suits small, high-value electronics.

Top products shipped from the UAE to Africa

The scale here is real. UAE-Africa non-oil trade reached about $158 billion in 2025, up 41.6%, although that figure counts trade in both directions, not only goods heading to Africa.

HS 2710, refined petroleum. The biggest line on several routes. OEC puts 2022 UAE exports at $2.96 billion to Kenya, $1.83 billion to Tanzania and $352 million to Nigeria. This is specialist tanker cargo, so it won't apply to most container shippers.
HS 8703, cars. OEC shows $149 million to Nigeria and $57.9 million to Tanzania in 2022. Jebel Ali handled 545,000 vehicles in the first half of 2025, up 28%, though that total covers all its markets and not just Africa.
HS 8525 and 8517, broadcasting and telecoms equipment. OEC lists broadcasting equipment at $159 million to Nigeria and $45.6 million to Kenya in 2022. For 2024, Trading Economics has electrical and electronic equipment as the top category to Nigeria at $231.65 million.
HS 7408, copper wire. About $44 million to Kenya in 2022.
HS 3901, ethylene polymers. About $39.6 million to Tanzania in 2022. These plastics feed local packaging and manufacturing.
HS 3303, perfumes. Perfumes and consumer goods were among the leading UAE exports to Gabon in 2025. The source gives no separate value for them, but they are a good example of how far Gulf consumer goods travel.

Fuel can also skew the picture. Trading Economics puts total 2024 UAE exports to Kenya at $2.81 billion, with petroleum oils at $1.15 billion, while OEC's 2022 fuel figure alone is higher than that total. If you sell anything other than fuel, look at the product lines rather than the country total.

Top products shipped from Hong Kong to Africa

Hong Kong is a much smaller route, but a far more focused one. Africa-Hong Kong trade reached $6.5 billion in 2025, up 9%, and that figure also runs both ways.

HS 8517, phones and network equipment. This is the big one. HKTDC puts Hong Kong's 2024 telecoms exports to Africa at US$2,489 million, or 23% of Africa's telecoms imports. Smartphones sit under 8517.13 and most network gear under 8517.62.
HS 8471, computers. Computers were the top Hong Kong export to South Africa in OEC's 2024 data at $104 million, ahead of telephones at $75.3 million.
HS 8411, gas turbines. OEC lists $16 million to South Africa in 2024. A category like this can swing widely from year to year because a few large orders can move the total, so we wouldn't read it as steady demand.

South Africa shows how concentrated this route is. HKTDC's senior economist says electronics, including phones and computers, make up around 70% of Hong Kong's exports to South Africa. Trading Economics counts $280.55 million of electrical and electronic equipment out of $518.45 million in 2025, which is a narrower category and doesn't include computers.

We couldn't get a reliable product breakdown for Hong Kong's exports to Nigeria or Kenya, so we have left those out rather than guess.

UAE or Hong Kong: how to choose

Look at the UAE first if you are moving vehicles, machinery, building materials or mixed consumer goods, or if you want to combine goods from several countries into one shipment. Jebel Ali is built for this kind of volume, with storage for 75,000 vehicles and a quay that can handle three RoRo ships at once.

Look at Hong Kong first if your cargo is small, valuable and sourced from southern China. Almost all of its exports are re-exports, mostly of goods from mainland China, and Hong Kong charges no import duty on most products and no VAT or GST. That makes it a straightforward place to consolidate electronics.

The two routes don't compete head-on for every product, since electronics move through both. For phones and computers, get a landed-cost quote from each one, because the cheapest route depends on your supplier and your destination port.

Getting the HS code right

A wrong code can mean the wrong duty, a held shipment or a dispute with customs. These are the mistakes worth checking for:

Six digits are not the full code. The first six digits are shared internationally, but each country adds its own digits after that. Always check the full code in the tariff of the country you are shipping to.
Old paperwork can be out of date. Smartphones moved to 8517.13 in the 2022 HS update. If a supplier's documents still say 8517.12, ask them to check.
Parts are not always classified like the finished product. Vehicle parts generally fall under 8708 rather than 8703, and some parts have a heading of their own, such as tyres under 4011.
Batteries add rules. Lithium batteries, including those inside phones and laptops, are regulated as dangerous goods in transport. Tell your forwarder before you book.
The code is only one of the checks. Some countries also require product conformity programmes, such as SONCAP in Nigeria and PVoC in Kenya. Used vehicles can also face age limits, so check the current rules before you buy.

If you are unsure about a classification, ask a licensed customs broker in the destination country. Where one is available, a formal ruling from the customs authority gives you the most certainty. The codes in this article are a starting point, not customs advice.

The bottom line

Start with what you actually ship. If it's vehicles, machinery or mixed cargo, the UAE is the natural first call. If it's phones, laptops or other compact electronics, compare Hong Kong against Dubai on landed cost. Then confirm the full HS code for your destination before you quote a price, because that code decides your duty and your paperwork.

For the wider market picture, read our guide to exporting to Africa in 2026. And if you have a shipment in mind, get in touch and tell us what you are moving and where it's going.

Export to Africa in 2026: Why the Opportunity Has Never Been Bigger

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT

If you have ever priced a container to Lagos, Mombasa or Tema, you already know that Africa is not one market. It is 54 of them, each with its own ports, paperwork and buying habits. But step back from the day-to-day detail and the bigger picture for 2026 is hard to ignore: the case for exporting to Africa has rarely looked stronger.

Here is what the latest trade data tells us, where the demand is coming from, and what exporters should do to get ready.

The numbers behind the export opportunity

Start with trade inside the continent. In its African Trade and Economic Outlook 2026, published on 30 March 2026, Afreximbank forecasts that intra-African trade will grow by around 10% this year to about $230 billion, up from $210 billion in 2025 (Ecofin Agency). The bank calls this an optimistic scenario that depends on political stability and reform, but the direction is clear. Africa's total trade with the world reached roughly $1.4 trillion last year, according to the same report.

Trade between the Gulf and Africa is moving even faster. UAE non-oil trade with Africa reached about $158 billion in 2025, up 41.6% on the year before, and Africa's share of the UAE's total non-oil trade has climbed to 15.5%, from 10.8% in 2019 (Gulf News). Country by country the story repeats itself: UAE trade with Senegal topped $751 million in the first half of 2026, up 31%, while UAE non-oil exports to Gabon more than doubled to $62.7 million over the same period.

For anyone shipping cargo to Africa from Dubai or the wider Gulf, these are not abstract figures. They mean more sailings, more competition between carriers and more buyers actively looking for suppliers.

Container cranes at Mombasa Port, Kenya, one of East Africa's main gateways for imported cargo. Photo: Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce & Tourism, Kenya (public domain).

AfCFTA is starting to deliver

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been talked about for years. In 2026 it is finally showing up in real shipments.

Ghana is a good example. Speaking on 21 October 2026, Dode Seidu, National Coordinator of Ghana's National AfCFTA Coordination Office, said the country exported non-traditional goods to 47 African countries in 2025 under the agreement (Citi Newsroom). He was also candid that many small businesses still don't understand the opportunities available to them, which is exactly why there is room for well-prepared exporters.

Behind the scenes, the plumbing of African trade is improving too. The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) is expected to cut foreign exchange costs by 20% to 30%, and governments are working to remove non-tariff barriers along key trade corridors (Ecofin Agency). Cheaper payments and smoother borders make it easier for goods that land at one African port to travel on to neighbouring markets.

What African markets are buying

Demand varies by country, but a few categories come up again and again across African import markets:

Machinery and industrial equipment for construction, manufacturing and agriculture
Building materials to keep pace with fast-growing cities
Consumer goods, from household products to perfumes and cosmetics
Vehicles and spare parts, especially used cars and commercial vehicles
Food products and FMCG for supermarkets and wholesalers
Electronics, solar equipment and mobile devices

The UAE's export mix to Gabon in 2025 is a neat snapshot of this: perfumes and consumer goods, petroleum distillates and industrial equipment led the way (Gulf News).

Why Dubai is a natural gateway to Africa

Dubai has quietly become one of the most important launch pads for exports to Africa. Traders from Lagos to Nairobi already source goods through the UAE, and the UAE has direct shipping and air cargo links to East, West and Southern Africa. UAE investment in Africa also exceeded $110 billion between 2019 and 2024 (Gulf News).

New trade deals add to that. The UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Gabon in February 2026, part of a wider push to lower barriers with African partners.

The challenges you should plan for

None of this means exporting to Africa is easy. The exporters who do well are the ones who plan for the hard parts:

Customs and documentation. Each country has its own rules on certificates of origin, conformity certificates and pre-shipment inspection. Missing or incorrect paperwork is one of the most common causes of delays.
Port congestion and inland transport. Arriving at the port is only half the journey. Factor in clearance times and the cost of trucking to the final destination.
Currency and payment risk. Agree payment terms up front and consider letters of credit for new buyers.
Choosing the right shipping mode. Sea freight (FCL or LCL) suits heavy and bulky goods, while air freight makes sense for urgent, high-value or perishable cargo.

How to get started exporting to Africa

If you are thinking about your first shipment, keep it simple:

Pick one or two target markets rather than trying to sell across the whole continent at once.
Check the import rules for your product in that country before you quote a price.
Work with a freight forwarder who knows the destination port and can handle customs clearance.
Look at AfCFTA rules of origin if your goods may be re-exported to other African countries.
Start with a trial shipment, learn from it, then scale up.

The bottom line

Africa's trade is growing, trade agreements are finally biting and the Gulf is shipping more to the continent every year. For exporters who are willing to learn the rules of each market, 2026 is a very good time to start, or to grow, your business in Africa.