China expands tariff-free access to African goods

China has announced plans to eliminate tariffs on nearly all imports from 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic ties,extending a previous policy that offered zero-tariff treatment to only 33 least-developed African nations.

The announcement was made during a ministerial meeting in China’s city of Changsha,as African leaders gathered to review the implementation of the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) outcomes. President Xi Jinping called the new initiative a cornerstone of the proposed China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development. The plan aims to grant broader market access for African exports,expand Chinese consumer demand for African goods,and further solidify China’s position as the continent’s largest trading partner — surpassing $300 billion in bilateral trade in 2024.

This strategic economic shift comes as the United States,under President Donald Trump,moves toward raising tariffs on African exports,threatening preferential trade deals like the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). In a joint statement,China and African ministers criticized such unilateral moves as harmful to the global economic order. Experts say the tariff removal is more than symbolic. “It’s a structural shift in Africa–China trade relations,” said Hannah Ryder of Beijing-based consultancy Development Reimagined,noting that middle-income African nations like Nigeria and South Africa now gain access,helping diversify exports beyond raw materials. Eswatini,the only African nation recognizing Taiwan,is excluded.