China Opens Market To Africa With Zero Tariffs As US Pushes New Import Taxes Under Trump

Last Updated:May 01, 2026, 20:23 IST

China has launched a new tariff-free trade policy for Africa’s biggest economies, giving 53 of the continent’s 54 nations duty-free access to Chinese markets.

China has officially rolled out a new tariff-free trade policy for Africa’s largest economies, offering duty-free access to its market for the next two years as Beijing seeks to deepen economic ties with the continent amid rising global trade tensions.

The policy came into effect on Friday and covers Africa’s 20 biggest economies, including South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Kenya.

China had already removed tariffs for 33 lower-income African nations, meaning 53 out of Africa’s 54 countries are now eligible for what Beijing described as “tariff-free treatment" for exports to China.

The only exception is Eswatini, the sole African country that maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of Beijing.

China’s Customs Tariff Commission said the initiative was aimed at promoting “common development" between China and Africa. State-run Xinhua News Agency reported that the first shipment under the policy — 24 metric tonnes of apples from South Africa — cleared customs in Shenzhen early Friday morning.

According to China’s Commerce Ministry, the zero-tariff scheme is expected to particularly benefit African agricultural exports such as cocoa from Ivory Coast and Ghana, coffee and avocados from Kenya, and citrus fruits and wine from South Africa. Many of these products previously faced tariffs ranging from 8 to 30 per cent.

Ivory Coast and Ghana together account for more than half of global cocoa production, while South Africa is among the world’s leading citrus exporters.

The move comes as several African economies look to diversify export markets following tariff measures introduced by the administration of Donald Trump in the United States. Washington had earlier imposed reciprocal tariffs on imports from various African countries, with rates reaching 30 per cent on some South African goods and more than 40 per cent for others.

Although the US Supreme Court later struck down Trump’s broader global tariff measures as unconstitutional, the administration subsequently introduced temporary replacement import taxes.

China is already Africa’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching a record $348 billion in 2025. However, the trade relationship remains heavily imbalanced.

Chinese exports to Africa rose by around 25 per cent to $225 billion last year, while imports from Africa increased by only about 5 per cent to $123 billion, widening Africa’s trade deficit with Beijing.

China has historically relied on Africa for raw materials such as oil and minerals, while exporting manufactured goods back to the continent. Analysts say the new tariff-free policy could slightly improve access for African agricultural exports but may not fundamentally alter the broader imbalance.

Thierry Pairault, a China-Africa expert at France’s National Center for Scientific Research, said the move was also aimed at boosting China’s image globally amid growing criticism of Western protectionism.

“Xi Jinping is positioning China as the antithesis of Western protectionism," Pairault wrote in an assessment published by the China Global South Project.

However, he argued that the policy mainly applies to sectors where the economic cost to China remains limited, noting that many African raw material exports already enjoyed tariff-free access to Chinese markets.

News world China Opens Market To Africa With Zero Tariffs As US Pushes New Import Taxes Under Trump

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