Msn.com posted on 16 September 2025 an article titled "Morocco Emerges as Africa's First Host of a Battery Gigafactory in $5.6 Billion China-backed Deal."
China is financing a facility in Morocco for producing essential components for electric vehicle batteries. About 85 percent of the batteries will be exported to the European Union.
The New York Times published on 7 May 2025 an article titled "Why China Is Investing So Much Money in Moroccan Factories" by Patricia Cohen.
China has been investing in a major way in the electric vehicle and battery production sector in Morocco. The reason is simple. Morocco has a free trade agreement with the EU, and this is a way to avoid high tariffs. Morocco also has a free trade agreement with the United States, but the Trump administration has just placed a 10 percent tariff on goods from Morocco. Nevertheless, this is a lower tariff than will likely be the case with most countries.
The Stimson Center published on 28 February 2025 an analysis titled "Competing for Africa's Resources: How the US and China Invest in Critical Minerals" by Sydney Tucker.
China's approach to Africa's critical minerals is characterized by state-backed investments and a focus on securing long-term access to resources. The US prioritizes private sector involvement and supply chain diversification to reduce reliance on China while pursuing clean energy, national security, and economic goals.
Morocco World News published on 14 February 2025 an article titled "Ambassador: Morocco Becoming Strategic Hub for Chinese Investment" by Adil Faouzi.
Taking advantage of Morocco's proximity to Europe and favorable trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, the country is becoming a major investment center for Chinese companies.
The Global Business Council published on 30 January 2025 an article titled "Tanzania and Burundi Award $2B Contract to Chinese Firms to Design and Build Regional Rail."
China Engineering Construction Group and China Railway Design and Consulting Group won the $2.15 billion contract to design and build the 282-kilometer-long railway between Uvinza in Tanzania and a nickel mine between Musongati and Gitenga in Burundi. The railway will connect to an existing line in Tanzania that continues to the port of Dar es Salaam. The African Development Bank is financing the project. Nickel is a critical mineral in the manufacture of electric vehicles.
The ChinaMed Project published on 28 January 2025 a commentary titled "Moroccan Media on Xi Jinping's Visit and Increasing Cooperation with China" by Mariateresa Natuzzi.
The Moroccan press frames Rabat's relations with China as a strategy of foreign policy diversification rather than alignment with Beijing--especially as Morocco braces for the second Trump administration in Washington.
The China Global South Project (CGSP) published on 12 December 2024 a Q & A titled "What It's Going to Take for Chinese Car Brands to Succeed in Africa" with CGSP China editor Han Zhen and Jimmy Ho, co-founder of Guangzhou-based automotive export service Autoworld.
Selling cars in Africa isn't easy given the small regional market and its enormous diversity. Car buyers in Ghana, for example, are very different from those in South Africa, Morocco, and Mozambique. Beyond consumer preferences, there are challenges ranging from different countries' import regulations, building sales/service networks, and sustaining a workforce that can promote the kind of long-term support for an auto brand to thrive in some of the world's most unpredictable markets. African consumers often value durability and practicality over other features.
The South China Morning Post published on 29 November 2024 an article titled "What Xi's Flying Visit to Morocco Means for China's EV Industry" by Jevans Nyabiage.
As China ramps up its commercial ties with Morocco, especially electric vehicle manufacturing, it is also working to improve relations with increasingly authoritarian Tunisia and retain close ties with Algeria. If China becomes too close to Morocco, disagreement with Algeria over the Western Sahara could pose a challenge for Beijing's relations with Algiers.
Al-Monitor published on 20 October 2024 an article titled "What's Behind China's Deepening Engagement with Morocco?" by Sabena Siddiqui.
Chinese companies are winning contracts to expand Morocco's high speed rail system and signed a $6.4 billion memorandum of understanding to construct an EV battery "gigafactory" near Rabat. There is growing Chinese investment in Morocco's ICT sector. In 2022, China became Morocco's third largest trading partner.
Bloomberg published on 24 September 2024 an article titled "China Mining Heavyweights Partner with Zimbabwe on Lithium Mine" by William Clowes and Godfrey Marawanyika.
Despite low lithium prices, two Chinese mining companies are partnering with Zimbabwe's state-owned Kuvimba Mining House to build a mine and processing plant. Even if lithium prices remain low, the Chinese companies look to make a profit and are predicting a strong recovery in 2026 and 2027.
Benjamindada.com posted on 6 August 2024 an article titled "China's EU Players Chart Course for Morocco Amid Subsidy Squeeze" by Andrew Christian.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are shifting production to Morocco to take advantage of free trade agreements with the US and EU that permit goods manufactured there to enter both markets and bypass import restrictions and tariffs.
Reuters published on 27 June 2024 an article titled "China's Norinco Agrees to Buy Struggling Congo Cobalt Miner Chemaf."
Family-owned cobalt miner Chemaf SA has agreed to sell assets in the DRC to Chinese state-owned China North Industries Corp (Norinco). Chinese state-owned companies are the largest investors in the DRC's cobalt and copper mining sectors. Chinese companies have been aggressively expanding ownership of African cobalt for its electric vehicle manufacturers.
Politico published on 26 June 2024 an article titled "China Targets Morocco as Launchpad into Europe's Green Auto Market" by Antonia Zimmermann and Jordyn Dahl.
China hopes to access the European electric vehicle market by building an EV battery gigafactory in Tangier and taking advantage of Morocco's trade agreements with EU countries to skirt tariff and trade restrictions.
RAID in collaboration with African Resources Watch published in March 2024 a detailed report titled "Beneath the Green: A Critical Look at the Environmental and Human Costs of Industrial Cobalt Mining in DRC."
The report found that the rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, and wetlands near the DRC's cobalt and copper mines are severely polluted by mining activities. The mining companies in the study were all large European or Chinese multinationals.
Chinese companies and China loom especially large in this study as China accounts for about 60 percent of global passenger electric vehicle sales and is the biggest global consumer of cobalt with more than 80 percent being used to manufacture rechargeable batteries. About 65 percent of global refined cobalt is produced in China-based facilities. Chinese investment now backs about 70 percent of the DRC's mining sector.
S&P Global Commodity Insights published on 12 April 2024 an article titled "FACTBOX: China Set to Raise African Lithium Output in 2024 with Diversification Plans" by Lucy Tang.
China has been making substantial investments in the African lithium sector, making the region a key supplier and thereby helping reduce Beijing's heavy reliance on Australian lithium. China is the dominant player in Africa. Zimbabwe has become the second largest supplier to China after Australia, accounting in 2023 for 9 percent of China's spodumene import market share.
The Global Business Council posted on 30 March 2024 an article titled "Chinese EV Battery Makers Turn to Morocco."
Chinese EV battery maker, Jiangsu BTR New Material Group, has been granted approval by the Moroccan government to establish a battery factory for electric vehicles in Tanger. The $300 million investment looks to sell the batteries to the nearby European market and take advantage of Morocco's free trade agreement with the United States to access the North American market.
African Arguments published on 23 January 2024 a commentary titled "Zimbabwe Looks to China to Secure Place in EV Battery Supply Chain" by Andrew Mambondiyani, journalist based in Zimbabwe.
Chinese companies have invested over $1.4 billion to access Zimbabwe's lithium reserves, the largest in Africa. If it is not careful, Zimbabwe will squander this wealth because of regulatory gaps, human rights abuses, illegal trade, and corruption. Zimbabwe has made it easy for China to exploit mining in the country. It needs to process locally more of the lithium rather than export raw ore.
Global Witness published on 14 November 2023 a report titled "A Rush for Lithium in Africa Risks Fuelling Corruption and Failing Citizens."
Australia, Chile, and China dominate the world's lithium supply, accounting for over 90 percent of production in 2022. Africa is becoming a more important source of lithium and has been identified in the DRC, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ghana, Mali, and Ethiopia. Chinese companies have been singled out by Global Witness for engaging in corruption or failing to meet contractual promises in the DRC and Namibia.
The International Peace Information Service published on 20 September 2023 an analysis titled "Chinese Dominance in Zimbabwe's Lithium Mines: Potential Risks, Vulnerabilities and Opportunities in the Critical Minerals Sector" by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.
Zimbabwe has the largest lithium reserves and mines in Africa. Chinese-owned companies have acquired the biggest portfolio of lithium mining prospects in Zimbabwe. Western investors remain reluctant to invest in risky Zimbabwe.
The Daily Maverick published on 26 October 2023 a commentary titled "Africa Is a Key Source of Critical Minerals for the Global Energy Transition--But There Are Hidden Dangers" by Adrian Joseph.
China is the dominant producer and processor of critical minerals, many of which come from Africa. A growing number of countries, especially the United States and members of the European Union, are concerned about their vulnerability due to a disruption of supply chains. But African countries are also concerned that they are only suppliers of raw materials and have almost no role in processing the minerals.
