Published on: 2026-05-01
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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Beijing, May 1 /Xinhua/ — On Friday, China implemented a zero-tariff regime for all 53 African countries with which it has established diplomatic relations, opening new opportunities for Africa to increase exports and accelerate industrialization against the backdrop of a global trend towards protectionism.
On the morning of Friday the 24th, 24 tons of South African apples successfully passed customs clearance in Shenzhen (South China), becoming the first batch of imported African goods to China, to which the current zero-tariff policy applies.
Earlier, on December 1, 2024, China introduced a zero-tariff regime for 33 least developed African countries. The new zero-tariff policy will benefit relatively better-off countries such as Kenya, Egypt, and Nigeria.
According to the new agreement, zero tariffs will be applied to 20 African countries that are not the least developed, as a preferential tariff rate for two years. During this period, China will continue to assist in signing the China-Africa Economic Partnership Agreement for the joint development with the respective African countries. Officials stated that the agreement will establish zero tariffs as a long-term institutional agreement.
The Ministry of Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic stated that the zero tariff regime will increase the competitiveness of African goods, such as cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, coffee and avocado from Kenya, as well as citrus fruits and wine from the Republic of South Africa, for which tariffs were previously established in the range of 8 to 30 percent.
The department noted that zero tariffs will contribute to increased investment from China and other trading partners in Africa, attracting capital, technology, equipment, and management experience for the processing of African specialized products at the local level. This will also make trade between China and Africa more balanced, and its growth more sustainable.
China’s last step received wide recognition as an important stage on the path to further openness of the world’s second largest economy during a period when most of the global trading system is moving towards protectionism and market access restrictions.
The zero tariff initiative is a “timely enough” action for Africa, which bears the main burden of diverse global crises and faces isolationism and protectionism in the world, said last week the chairman of the African Union Commission (AU), Moussa Faki Mahamat Ali Youssouf, after the founding meeting of the China-Africa Entrepreneurs Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“On behalf of the AC Commission, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for this truly fraternal gesture, which is highly valued by all Africans,” he said.
China is the largest trading partner of Africa. According to the General Administration of Customs (GAC) of China, the trade volume between China and Africa reached a record level of 348 billion dollars. The USA in 2025. Of this amount, China’s imports from Africa amounted to 123 billion dollars, which is 5.4 percent more compared to the previous year.
The Chinese zero-tariff initiative, unlike the preferential policies of some Western countries, does not require mutual openness as a preliminary condition and does not link Africa’s internal affairs to any conditions, noted Professor Tan Xiaoyan, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at Xinhua University.
“This demonstrates China’s respect for African countries and its sense of responsibility for joint development with them,” said Tan Xiaoyan.
The professor noted that the advantage of this tariff incentive is not limited to a simple increase in trade volumes. According to him, more transnational companies will try to create assembly or processing enterprises in Africa in order to take advantage of lower export costs to China, which, in turn, will strengthen Africa’s processing industry sector.
“The zero tariff policy is well aligned with the model of joint development that China and Africa have supported for many years through cooperation in the field of infrastructure and industry,” he noted.
Chjao Yunshen, a research fellow at the University of International Business and Economics, noted that Africa’s role in the global production chain has long been limited to the position of a raw material supplier, and its trade structure – export of primary products with import of finished goods – has hindered industrialization. China’s zero-tariff policy combined with investments and technology transfer may help the continent break out of this difficult situation.
The latest elimination of tariffs also fits well into China’s broad efforts for openness. According to the main provisions of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), China will actively expand openness and form an institutional environment that is transparent, stable, and predictable. China has also committed to improving the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation by 2030.
Zhao Yunshen believes that zero tariffs will facilitate the inflow of African goods into China, which will allow satisfying the growing demand of Chinese consumers for high-quality products.
Thanks to simplified customs procedures and other preferential measures, African goods such as Ethiopian coffee beans and South African wine have firmly established themselves in the Chinese market. Importers now expect that this step will lead to an increase in the volume of African goods supplies and make their prices more competitive.
The Chinese company Hunan Rift Valley Purple, which invested in a tea processing plant in Kenya, stated that it plans to import more processed purple tea from this East African country, as the new policy significantly reduces tax rates.
“This will not only increase the income of Kenyan tea farmers but also allow a larger number of Chinese consumers to experience the unique aromas of high-quality African tea,” said Lun Sulan, the regional director of the company. -0-
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