SHANGHAI, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's financial hub Shanghai saw its foreign trade with African countries grow 9.4 percent year on year to 218.53 billion yuan (about 30.73 billion U.S. dollars) in the first seven months of 2024, official data showed Tuesday.

This trade volume accounted for 18.4 percent of the total China-Africa trade during the January-July period, according to Shanghai Customs.

During this period, the value of agricultural products imported from Africa through Shanghai ports reached 5.43 billion yuan, marking an 18 percent year-on-year increase.

African specialty agricultural products have become a key aspect of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. For example, more than 6,000 tonnes of sesame from African countries, including Tanzania, Niger and Burkina Faso, were handled at Shanghai's Wusong Port in the first seven months.

Shanghai's exports of mechanical and electrical products to Africa totaled 68.39 billion yuan, accounting for 57.4 percent of the city's total exports to Africa during the period.

China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, with bilateral trade rising 5.5 percent year on year to 1.19 trillion yuan from January to July, according to the General Administration of Customs.