China Plans to Remove All Tariffs on African Imports

China has recently announced plans to eliminate all tariffs on goods imported from 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic ties. 

This was revealed at a recent China-Africa cooperation meeting, signals Beijing’s commitment to deepening trade ties across the continent, especially at a time when African exports face growing uncertainty in the United States.

For the past 15 years, China has held the position of Africa’s largest trading partner. In 2023 alone, African nations exported goods worth approximately $170 billion to the Asian giant, with raw materials from countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea making up a large portion of those exports.

This latest announcement is an expansion of a previous initiative introduced last year, when China dropped tariffs on products from 33 African nations classified as “least developed.” 

The new plan broadens the scope, potentially including major African economies like South Africa and Nigeria, two of China’s biggest trade partners on the continent. However, no official date has been given for when the policy will take effect.

One notable exclusion is Eswatini, the only African country not covered by the tariff-free offer, due to its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, a move China opposes, as it sees Taiwan as part of its territory.

In a joint ministerial statement, Chinese and African officials criticized what they described as attempts by “certain countries” to disrupt the global trade order through unilateral tariffs—an indirect reference to recent moves by the United States. 

Earlier this year, the U.S. announced plans to impose steep tariffs on imports from several African nations: 50% on goods from Lesotho, 30% for South Africa, and 14% for Nigeria. 

Although the implementation has been temporarily paused, U.S. officials have made it clear that only countries “negotiating in good faith” may avoid the new charges.

For many African exporters, the uncertainty surrounding the U.S. market has raised alarm. Washington currently imports about $39.5 billion worth of African goods under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a zero-tariff agreement now at risk due to shifting U.S. trade policy under President Donald Trump’s administration.

In contrast, China’s zero-tariff pledge offers African nations a potentially more stable and welcoming trading partner. While some analysts view the move as a strategic attempt by Beijing to strengthen its economic and diplomatic influence in Africa, many 

African leaders are likely to welcome the tariff elimination as an opportunity to expand trade, stimulate local industries, and diversify away from overreliance on Western markets.