From 1 May, all products originating in 53 African countries will enter China without paying any import duties. The policy covers 100 percent of tariff lines, from agricultural goods and textiles to minerals and manufactured items.

President Xi Jinping announced the measure in February, fulfilling a commitment made at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Beijing. Only Eswatini, which maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, is excluded. Why it matters: China is offering Africa its most generous trade terms ever at a moment when US tariffs on African goods remain in place, reshaping the continent’s economic orientation.

The trade imbalance

China-Africa trade hit $348 billion in 2025, up 17.7 percent from 2024. But the balance is heavily lopsided. Chinese exports to Africa totalled $225 billion while imports from the continent reached $123 billion.

The tariff elimination is designed to narrow that gap by making African goods more competitive in the Chinese market. Beijing is complementing the policy with a green lane to expedite customs and quarantine procedures for African agricultural and manufactured exports.

The opportunity

For Africa’s commodity exporters, the immediate benefit is clear. Raw materials already flow to China in large volumes. The larger prize is in processed goods.

South Africa, Africa’s most industrialised economy, could expand exports of automotive components, processed foods, and wines. Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy by GDP, sees potential in processed agricultural products and light manufacturing.

The risk

The African Continental Free Trade Area secretariat has warned that if individual countries rush to exploit Chinese access without coordination, it could fragment Africa’s own internal market. The AfCFTA is designed to boost intra-African trade, which currently accounts for only about 15 percent of the continent’s total commerce.

Analysts at the Trade Unions in AfCFTA project argue that cheap Chinese imports already undercut African manufacturers in textiles, electronics, and construction materials. Removing tariffs on African exports does not address this structural disadvantage.

What happens next

The African Union is preparing for the 1 May implementation alongside the AfCFTA secretariat. India, which chairs BRICS in 2026, is watching closely. Delhi has offered its own tariff concessions to African partners and views China’s move as a competitive play for influence across the continent.

The test for African governments is whether they can use the access to build export capacity rather than simply shipping more raw materials to China at duty-free prices.