From November 5 to 10, 2026, Côte d’Ivoire will participate for the first time with an official collective delegation in Shanghai at the ninth China International Import Expo to promote its products and seek new markets.
The Ivorian pavilion will highlight five sectors and their value chains. Cocoa, coffee, cashew, cola, and textiles have been selected to showcase both raw materials and processed products to Chinese importers and distributors.
The Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency aims to use the trade fair to secure several commercial contracts, raise the profile of Ivorian brands, and identify partners willing to invest in local processing. Its Director General, Kaladji Fadiga, also described this first collective participation as a step towards the country’s regular presence at the CIIE.
This strategy comes into effect following the implementation, on May 1, 2026, of the zero-tariff treatment granted by China to eligible products from 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations. The Ivorian Ministry of Agriculture nevertheless reminds that tariff access does not exempt exporters from complying with traceability requirements as well as sanitary and phytosanitary standards.
A working group called Export to China brings together the Ivorian agency and the Chinese embassy. Its role is to facilitate connections with buyers, assist with customs formalities, and prepare companies for the rules of the Chinese market.
The search for new markets is accompanied by a transformation challenge. According to customs data presented by the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency, the country exported one million tonnes of raw cocoa beans in 2024 for approximately 2,400 billion CFA francs, compared to 613,000 tonnes of processed products generating 2,000 billion CFA francs.
The CIIE is expected to bring together more than 3,500 exhibitors and approximately 400,000 professional visitors, including nearly 100,000 Chinese and international buyers, according to information published by the Ivorian agency. The fair will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai until November 10.
