Beijing has decided to extend the zero-tariff regime to all African countries starting yesterday, bringing the number of beneficiary nations to 53. The only exception is Eswatini, the only African state that continues to recognize Taiwan as a separate entity.
This is a unilateral trade opening of great scope, eliminating tariffs on almost all products coming from the African continent for the next two years, until April 30, 2028.
This move comes at a time of strong tension on the international trade front, marked by protectionism and tariff wars, and is presented by Beijing as a gesture of friendship and responsibility towards the Global South.
However, analysts observe it with realism and some caution: while representing an undeniable advantage for African exporters, it risks having limited effects without a profound change in the continent’s economic structures, given the marked trade imbalance that has characterized China-Africa relations for years.
The details
The measure is part of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) and comes on the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and many African countries.
As reported by the BBC, China had already applied duty-free status since December 2024 to 33 less developed African nations. It now extends coverage to an additional 20 countries.
This is a unilateral commitment presented by Beijing as the first of its kind by a major economy towards the entire continent.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has stated that the measure will make African products more competitive in the domestic market, with expected benefits especially for cocoa, coffee, avocado, citrus fruits, and wine.
Beijing’s narrative
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian described the measure as “an expression of China’s willingness to open up voluntarily and take on greater international responsibilities,” as reported by The Independent.
The Global Times, the English-language version of the People’s Daily and thus the propaganda organ of the Communist Party, emphasized that the policy strengthens the building of “a China-Africa community with a shared future” and contrasts the Chinese approach based on “win-win cooperation” with the protectionist policies of other countries.
He Wenping, a researcher at the China-Africa Institute, told the same Global Times that the measure will help Africa shift from trading raw materials to trading higher value-added products.
The Eswatini exception
The only exclusion is Eswatini, one of the few countries in the world (and the only one in Africa) to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
As The Independent writes, this detail confirms that Beijing’s trade opening strictly follows the “one China” policy line.
A highly unbalanced trade
Despite the announcement, the picture remains very asymmetrical. Africa closed last year with a trade deficit towards China of about 102 billion dollars, an increase of 65%.
African exports to Beijing are dominated by oil, minerals, and raw materials.
Lauren Johnston, senior research fellow at the AustChina Institute, interviewed by the BBC, stated that China is positioning itself as “a trade liberalizer and friendly economic partner of Africa,” in contrast to Donald Trump and the United States.
However, as the British broadcaster points out, other analysts note that tariffs have never been the main obstacle for African exporters.
Opportunities and limits
Johnston believes that the expansion of the zero-tariff regime could increase African agricultural exports, contributing to “raising rural incomes, improving productivity, and reducing hunger and poverty.” However, experts are cautious about the real effects.
Jervin Naidoo, political analyst at Oxford Economics Africa, cited by The Independent, warns that “many African economies still face structural constraints such as limited industrial capacity, weak logistics, and dependence on raw material exports, which simple tariff reductions cannot solve.”
Alfred Schipke, director of the East Asian Institute in Singapore, interviewed by the BBC, foresees a short-term impact that is “modest and concentrated in countries that already have export capacity.”
Ken Gichinga, Kenyan economist, told the same BBC that for Kenya it will be “a big boost,” especially for avocado, macadamia nuts, coffee, tea, and leather.
More critical is Wangari Kebuchi, fiscal policy economist, also cited by the BBC: “zero tariffs on commodities already exported raw do not solve the underlying problem. They can even consolidate it. African governments must use this better access as leverage for a real industrial policy.”
What really changes?
This decision was designed to strengthen China’s image as Africa’s main economic partner. It can give a concrete boost to some agricultural sectors and rural incomes.
But without deep structural changes – in terms of industrialization, logistics, and local processing of raw materials – the large trade imbalance between the two realities risks remaining as it is.
The real challenge for African governments will be to turn this greater access to the Chinese market into a concrete development tool, and not just a temporary outlet for commodity exports.
