China drops tariffs on 53 African states

China on May 1 extended zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with Beijing, widening duty-free access across the continent after already granting the same treatment to 33 least developed African countries from Dec. 1, 2024. Chinese authorities said the latest step adds 20 non-least-developed African countries, including larger economies such as South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria, under a preferential tariff arrangement that runs through April 30, 2028. (english.gov.cn) The move gives Beijing a new trade offer to present in Africa at a time when governments are weighing market access, tariffs and supply-chain risk. China’s commerce ministry called the policy a “significant measure” and said China would become the first major economy to provide unilateral, full-coverage zero-tariff treatment to all African countries with diplomatic ties. (english.gov.cn) ### Which countries are covered, and which one is not? The policy applies to 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to China, according to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council and Chinese state media. Eswatini is the lone exception because it is the only African country that maintains formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. (english.gov.cn) From May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2028, the additional 20 non-LDC African countries receive zero tariffs in the form of a preferential tariff rate. For goods covered by tariff-rate quotas, only in-quota rates fall to zero, while out-of-quota tariffs remain unchanged. (english.gov.cn) ### What changed on May 1, if some countries already had zero tariffs? China had already removed tariffs on 100% of tariff lines for 33 least developed African countries with diplomatic ties from Dec. 1, 2024. The May 1 expansion brought in the African countries that were not in that least-developed-country category, turning an earlier preference for poorer economies into continent-wide coverage for countries aligned diplomatically with Beijing. (english.gov.cn) President Xi Jinping had signaled the broader rollout in a message to the African Union Summit on Feb. 14, 2026, and Chinese officials have linked the measure to follow-up actions under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, or FOCAC. (english.gov.cn) ### What goods are most likely to benefit first? Shenzhen customs cleared 24 tonnes of South African apples in the early hours of May 1, which Xinhua described as the first batch of goods to enter under the expanded zero-tariff policy. China’s commerce ministry said products that had faced tariffs of 8% to 30% included cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, coffee and avocados from Kenya, and citrus fruits and wine from South Africa. (english.gov.cn) China’s General Administration of Customs said China-Africa trade reached a record $348 billion in 2025, including $123 billion of Chinese imports from Africa, up 5.4% from a year earlier. Those figures show the scale of the existing trade relationship the tariff move is meant to deepen. (gb.china-embassy.gov.cn) ### Why are analysts cautioning against overstating the immediate payoff? African Business wrote on May 17 that zero tariffs “can open doors, but they cannot fill containers,” pointing to export readiness, logistics and production capacity as the practical limits on how quickly African exporters can use the new access. FurtherAfrica said the gains would depend on whether countries can scale production, improve logistics and meet market standards. (english.gov.cn) Those assessments describe supply-side constraints rather than any change in the tariff policy itself. South Africa’s trade minister, Parks Tau, welcomed the measure on May 1 and said it applied to 20 non-least-developed African countries including South Africa. (english.gov.cn) His department described the scheme as temporary and said it followed Xi’s Feb. 14 announcement. ### What comes next after the two-year tariff window starts? Chinese authorities said the two-year period to April 30, 2028 will run alongside negotiations on a China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development agreement with relevant African countries. Beijing has said those talks are intended to turn the current arrangement into a longer-term institutional framework for trade relations. (english.gov.cn) (thedtic.gov.za) (africabusiness.com)