China Rating Agency Assigns Afreximbank ‘AAA/Stable’ for Second Consecutive Year

China's Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd. (CCXI) has reaffirmed African Export-Import Bank's (Afreximbank) AAA issuer credit rating with a Stable outlook for the second year in a row. The rating highlights the bank's financial strength and strategic importance. CCXI predicts the bank's credit rating will remain stable in the next 12 to 18 months.

The bank's rating is supported by its high strategic positioning, robust risk management, flexible business growth, strong profitability, prudent liquidity management, and a high coverage ratio of current assets to short-term debts. CCXI's Managing Director, Treasury & Markets and Treasurer, Chandi Mwenebungu, expressed pride in the affirmation, stating it is a testament to Afreximbank's financial strength, disciplined risk management, and enduring relevance to Africa and Global Africa.

The rating also underscores the bank's ability to provide support to member states during uncertain periods and mobilize capital from diverse funding sources across local and global markets. The affirmation further bolsters Afreximbank's access to various funding channels, particularly in China, and strengthens its position in the world's largest and most influential capital markets.

In 2025, Afreximbank issued its first RMB2.2 billion Panda bond, becoming the first African multilateral development bank to tap into the Panda bond market. Additionally, Afreximbank joined China's Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), further enhancing its role in facilitating trade and investment between China and Africa.

Afreximbank's rating aligns with S&P Global Ratings' recent assignment of 'BBB+' long-term and 'A-2' short-term issuer credit ratings with a Stable outlook. The bank also holds investment-grade ratings from GCR (A), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-), and Moody's (Baa2).