Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (Mitc) says the country has clinched export deals worth $120 million (about K230 billion) at the just ended Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, China.
The deals are said to be in agriculture, mining and arts and crafts, with the bulk of export orders tied to high-demand agro-commodities and gemstones.
Mitc public relations manager Ndondwa Msaka is quoted in a statement as having said that Malawi secured firm orders for 100 000 metric tonnes (MT) of soya beans, 30 000 MT of groundnuts and 10 000 MT of dried chillies.
pavilion at the expo. | Courtesy of Mitc
At prevailing international prices averaging $500 (about K875 500) MT for soya, $1 200 (about K2.1 million) for groundnuts and $2 500 (about K4.3 million) for dried chillies, the total value of the deals is estimated at $97 million (about K185 billion).
The statement further said that additional open-ended contracts were signed for macadamia nuts, with international spot prices ranging between $3 000 (about K5.3 million) and $4 500 (about K7.8 million) per MT, further expanding Malawi’s export pipeline to China.
In the mining sector, Malawi recorded confirmed orders for 30MT of amethyst, 1 000 MT of milky quartz and an open-ended contract for mica, according to Mitc.
Using conservative global averages of $400 (about K77 400) per tonne for amethyst, $30 (about K52 530) per MT for milky quartz and $500 per MT for mica, the mineral deals are valued at over $19 million (K36 billion).
The expo outcomes come at a time the Malawi Government is working to diversify the economy alongside traditional exports such as tobacco, tea and coffee.
Tobacco exports have performed poorly, relative to their performance in the past year. Market data from the Tobacco Commission (TC) shows that average tobacco prices in 2025 remain below those recorded during the same period last year, despite steady week-on-week improvements.
TC spokesperson Telephorus Chigwenembe said in an interview that the average price has been improving in weeks, a development that could have a positive effect on the revenues.
To sustain momentum in securing alternative forex streams, Mitc says Malawi will continue promoting its goods through a permanent pavilion in Changsha and plans are underway to set up a stockholding warehouse to guarantee consistent supply.
Reads the statement in part: “Mitc is also developing plans for an accompanying warehouse facility to maintain minimum stock levels of premium Malawian goods.”
In recent years, Malawi has been clinching export deals, but failed to meet the demand due to production constraints.
In 2023, Malawi missed out on an estimated $885 million (about K1.5 trillion) farm produce supply deal with South Sudan.
The agreement, which allowed Malawi to export maize, maize flour, groundnuts and beans, collapsed after the country failed to satisfy the demand.
