By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
Starting from Friday, May 1, 2026, all goods from 53 African countries that share diplomatic relations with China will pay zero tariff for exports to China. This was announced by Chinese authorities and has been received with both hands by several African countries.
Earlier in 2025, during the meeting of the Forum on China – African Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his country’s readiness to roll out the zero-tariff plan for African countries. Months later, it is now a reality.
The tariff-free policy would ensure that goods going to China from all 53 African countries are free of all tariffs, thereby strengthening small businesses in Africa by removing the burden of tariffs. This policy is also expected to expand exportation opportunities for businesses across Africa, especially those into agricultural produce and other essentials, with a vast market in China. It is also an opportunity for African businesses to consider possible products that can be exported to China free of charge.
With this move, China is integrating its formidable market with the African market, which is also remarkably large. China’s enormous population of over a billion people and Africa’s population of over a billion people can easily build a global frontier of economic powerhouses of unequal standing. This latest move by China is seen as part of its ongoing attempt to link up Africa with its thriving industries and market, as part of its consolidation efforts to strengthen its global reach, economic reputation, and dominance.
Though commendable, however, China’s zero-tariff policy for Africa still leaves Africa as the raw material supplier for its rapid industrialization, until African countries begin to fully explore their raw materials internally for their own industrialization.
