As America retreats, African traders turn to China’s open markets

The New York Times features the story of Rhoda Ng’helembi, a 26-year-old entrepreneur from Tanzania who has found opportunity in China’s shifting trade landscape. After visiting China seven times, she now runs Msukuma, a growing business selling handbags, clothes, and jewelry across Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Congo.

Source The New York Times

Originally sourcing products through local middlemen, Ng’helembi decided to cut out intermediaries and buy directly from factories in China. “I realized China is the center of everything,” she says.

As U.S. tariffs push global trade in new directions, China is deepening ties with developing nations. For entrepreneurs like Rhoda, these changes have turned China into a gateway of possibility — where the global economy’s next chapter is being written.