China drops tariffs on 53 countries

China began granting zero-tariff treatment on 100% of tariff lines to 53 African countries with diplomatic ties on May 1, according to announcements from the State Council tariff commission and the commerce ministry. The expansion added 20 African countries that were not previously covered, on top of 33 least developed African countries that had already received the same treatment since Dec. 1, 2024. Eswatini is the only African country left out because it maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The new arrangement for the added 20 countries is set to run through April 30, 2028. ### Which countries were newly added, and who was already covered? China’s April 28 announcement said the new phase applies to 20 African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing that are not classified as least developed countries. That widened an earlier scheme that already covered 33 least developed African countries. The May 1 rollout means large economies including South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Kenya now get tariff-free access to the Chinese market for covered imports, according to Associated Press reporting that cited the policy terms. Chinese state media said the broader policy is meant to cover all 53 African countries that recognize Beijing. ### Why is one African country excluded? Eswatini is the sole exception because it is the only African country with formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan rather than China. Beijing limits the policy to countries with diplomatic relations with it. The exclusion has been stated consistently in Chinese official announcements and outside reporting on the measure. That makes the policy both a trade instrument and a reflection of Beijing’s diplomatic recognition rules. ### What goods are expected to benefit first? A May 1 Xinhua report said 24 tonnes of South African apples cleared customs in Shenzhen in the early hours of the first day, becoming the first shipment under the expanded policy. China’s commerce ministry said products that had faced tariffs of 8% to 30% stand to gain the most immediate price advantage. The ministry specifically named cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, coffee and avocados from Kenya, and citrus fruit and wine from South Africa. Those examples point to agricultural and food exports as some of the clearest early beneficiaries. ### How big is China-Africa trade now? China’s General Administration of Customs said China-Africa trade reached a record $348 billion in 2025, according to Xinhua. Of that total, China’s imports from Africa were $123 billion, up 5.4% from a year earlier. Brookings fellow Yun Sun wrote in January that the trade picture is more uneven than the tariff move alone suggests. She said African exports to China remain concentrated in minerals, raw materials and other low-value goods, while Africa collectively runs a trade deficit with China. ### What is Beijing saying about the purpose of the move? China’s commerce ministry called the expansion a “significant measure” and said it would make China the first major economy to provide unilateral, full-coverage zero-tariff treatment to all African countries with diplomatic ties. The State Council tariff commission said the policy would promote the “common development” of China and Africa. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission, called the move “very timely” in remarks cited by Xinhua after the China-Africa Entrepreneurs Summit in Addis Ababa. He said African countries appreciated what he described as a “brotherly gesture.” ### What happens next? China’s April 28 policy notice said the preferential zero-tariff treatment for the added 20 countries will remain in place from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2028. During that period, Beijing said it will continue negotiating and signing a China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development agreement with relevant African countries, which officials said is intended to make the zero-tariff arrangement a longer-term institutional framework.