China has announced plans to eliminate tariffs on all imports from African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, in a major shift in trade policy.
The move significantly expands an earlier policy that granted zero-tariff treatment only to the least-developed nations on the continent.
Chinese President Xi Jinping made the announcement in a letter addressed to African foreign ministers, stating that all 53 African countries with formal ties to Beijing will now receive “zero-tariff treatment for 100% of tariff lines.”
China’s strategy for Africa
This development is part of China’s broader strategy to deepen economic ties with African nations as it navigates a protracted trade war with the United States.
The policy expansion builds on earlier commitments made at a China-Africa summit in September, where 33 least-developed African countries were previously granted duty-free access to the Chinese market.
The results are already being felt as Chinese exports to Africa surged 12.4% in the first five months of the year, reaching a record 963 billion yuan ($134 billion), according to China’s Foreign Ministry.
The changing global trade dynamics
Over 30 African countries risk losing duty-free privileges under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a key trade agreement that has come under scrutiny in recent years.
- President Donald Trump had signaled intentions to apply reciprocal tariffs on all of America’s trading partners, casting uncertainty over the future of AGOA and similar preferential programs.
- Meanwhile, Beijing’s new offer positions China as a more stable and predictable trade partner at a time when the global trade environment is increasingly polarized.
- While the U.S. and China continue to engage in negotiations to resolve their trade tensions, the latest round held in London this week, the impact of these rivalries is pushing developing economies, including those in Africa, to reassess and diversify their alliances.
Nigeria’s appeal
Earlier on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, had appealed to China to include Nigeria in the broader zero-tariff framework for African countries to boost its export of key goods, including agricultural produce and minerals.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of FOCAC Follow-up Actions in Changsha, Hunan Province, the Minister noted that implementing zero-tariff treatment for 100% tariff lines is one of the 10 partnership actions for China and Africa to jointly advance modernisation.
Tuggar also raised concerns about the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence and satellite technologies, saying that Nigeria and the entire African continent should be included in the transformative sectors.
