China Offers to Scrap Tariffs on All African Imports Amid U.S. Trade Tensions
China has announced its readiness to remove all import tariffs on goods from the 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic ties, a move that could significantly deepen trade ties across the continent.
The declaration was made during a high-level China-Africa cooperation meeting, where officials called for fairer global trade practices and criticized unilateral tariff measures by some nations. A joint statement from the forum condemned attempts to “disrupt the existing international economic and trade order,” in an apparent reference to the United States.
The tariff elimination plan builds on a 2023 policy that granted zero-duty access to goods from 33 of Africa’s least-developed countries. The proposed expansion will now include major African economies such as Nigeria and South Africa. China has yet to specify when the full policy will take effect.
The only African country excluded from the new tariff offer is Eswatini, which maintains diplomatic recognition of Taiwan – an issue over which China remains staunchly uncompromising.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for the past 15 years, with African exports to China valued at approximately $170 billion in 2023. Much of this trade is centered around raw materials, particularly from nations like Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The announcement comes at a time of growing concern over potential new U.S. tariffs on African imports. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump proposed steep duties, including 50% on goods from Lesotho, 30% for South Africa, and 14% for Nigeria. While implementation has been temporarily delayed, the future of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which grants tariff-free access to certain African exports, now hangs in the balance.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that countries negotiating “in good faith” could see a longer reprieve from the proposed tariffs. In 2024, the U.S. imported $39.5 billion worth of African goods – some of it under the Agoa framework.
China’s move is widely seen as a strategic effort to strengthen economic alliances in Africa as Western trade relationships become increasingly uncertain.
