China has expanded tariff-free access for African exports, covering nearly every country on the continent as Beijing seeks deeper trade ties with the region. The move comes as the United States continues to pursue protectionist trade measures under Trump
China has introduced a new policy granting tariff-free access to imports from Africa’s largest economies for the next two years, widening trade links with the continent at a time of growing global tensions over tariffs and protectionism.
The agreement covers Africa’s 20 biggest economies, including South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Kenya. China had already removed tariffs on imports from 33 poorer African nations, meaning 53 of Africa’s 54 countries are now eligible for what Beijing describes as “tariff-free treatment”. The only African nation excluded from the policy is Eswatini, which maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
China’s Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said the arrangement would support the “common development” of China and Africa. State news agency Xinhua reported that a shipment of 24 metric tons of apples from South Africa, which cleared through customs in Shenzhen early on Friday, was the first consignment to enter China under the new zero-tariff policy.
China’s Commerce Ministry said the agreement would particularly benefit African agricultural exports that previously faced tariffs ranging from 8% to 30%. Those products include cocoa from Ivory Coast and Ghana, coffee and avocados from Kenya, and citrus fruits and wine from South Africa. Ivory Coast remains the world’s largest cocoa producer, while Ivory Coast and Ghana together account for more than half of the global cocoa supply. South Africa is also a major exporter of citrus fruit.
The move comes amid continued uncertainty over US trade policy. Several African economies said they would seek alternative markets for some exports previously destined for the United States after the Trump administration imposed reciprocal tariffs last year. At one point, tariffs on South African goods reached 30%, while some other African countries faced rates above 40%.
“South Africa looks forward to working with China in a friendly, pragmatic and flexible manner,” South African Trade Minister Parks Tau said during bilateral talks in China in February.
Although the US Supreme Court ruled in February that Trump’s broad global tariffs were unconstitutional, the president said his administration had “very powerful alternatives” and later introduced temporary import taxes to replace them.
China is already Africa’s largest trading partner. The continent’s population currently stands at around 1.5 billion and is projected by the United Nations to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, accounting for more than a quarter of the world’s population.
Trade between China and Africa reached a record $ 348 billion in 2025. However, the relationship remains heavily imbalanced. China’s exports to Africa rose by around 25% to 225 billion dollars, while imports from Africa increased by only about 5% to 123 billion dollars, widening Africa’s trade deficit with China.
China has historically imported raw materials such as oil and minerals from African countries while exporting manufactured goods to the continent. Analysts say the latest tariff changes may provide some gains for agricultural exporters, though many raw materials have already entered China duty-free.
Thierry Pairault, a China-Africa expert at France’s National Center for Scientific Research, said the policy reflected Beijing’s wider geopolitical positioning.
“(Chinese leader) Xi Jinping is positioning China as the antithesis of Western protectionism. This gesture is intended to appeal to both African public opinion and global markets,” Pairault wrote in an assessment published by the China Global South Project.
But Pairault added that the policy “only applies where it costs (China) almost nothing.”
