China offers zero-tariff access to all 53 African nations
The policy covers cocoa, coffee, rare earths and other goods through 2028. China claims it's the first major economy to offer unilateral duty-free access to the continent, but analysts say tariffs were rarely the main obstacle.
May 1st 2026 · China
China has expanded its zero-tariff policy to cover imports from all 53 African countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing, effective Friday. The policy, which builds on a December 2024 initiative covering 33 least-developed nations, extends duty-free treatment on a wide range of goods including cocoa, coffee, citrus fruits, wine, frozen meat, and rare earth minerals through April 30, 2028. China claims this makes it the first major economy to offer unilateral zero-tariff treatment to Africa, with the commerce ministry stating the move aims to make African products more competitive and encourage investment in processing industries within the continent. The timing of the expansion coincides with rising protectionism globally, with African Union Commission chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf describing the policy as "very timely" for a continent facing economic pressures. China is Africa's largest trading partner, having imported over 90 billion pounds worth of goods in 2025, a 5.4 percent increase from the previous year, with total bilateral trade reaching 255 billion pounds. Africa currently runs a massive trade deficit with China, which rose by 65 percent to approximately 102 billion dollars last year, with the continent's exports dominated by raw materials such as crude oil, metallic ores, and cobalt rather than finished goods. However, analysts caution that the policy alone is unlikely to significantly close the trade gap. Experts point to deeper structural constraints facing African exporters, including limited industrial capacity, weak logistics, and heavy reliance on raw commodity exports. Lauren Johnston, a senior research fellow at the AustChina Institute, notes that while the policy could help elevate rural incomes and improve agricultural productivity, tariffs were rarely the main obstacle for African exporters. The policy excludes Eswatini, the only African nation maintaining diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which experts describe as a deliberate political signal. Amit Jain, a China-Africa relations expert based in Singapore, suggests the move positions China as a trade liberalizer in contrast to the United States under Donald Trump, while analysts note the exclusion could potentially benefit Eswatini by driving further economic concessions from Taiwan.