Yemisi Izuora
In a bid to sustain its economic influence in Africa, China said it will expand zero-tariff treatment to all African countries that have diplomatic relations with it starting May 1, 2026.
The inclusion of an additional 20 African nations under the zero-tariff treatment policy has demonstrated the nation’s active commitment to expanding high-standard opening up, according to Xinhua News Agency quoting some authorities.
From May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2028, China will grant zero-tariff treatment, in the form of a preferential tariff rate, to 20 African countries that have established diplomatic ties with China and are not classified as the least developed countries, according to an announcement by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council.
The announcement specified that for products under tariff quotas, only the in-quota tariff rate will be reduced to zero, while the out-of-quota tariff rate will remain unchanged.
During the two-year implementation period, China will continue to promote the negotiation and signing of the agreement of China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development with relevant African countries, it said.
China’s latest move to apply zero-tariff treatment to an additional 20 African nations came after the country had granted zero-tariff treatment on 100 percent of tariff lines since December 1, 2024 for 33 least developed African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations.
The Commission added that this move will play an important role in strengthening the economic and trade cooperation bond between China and Africa as well as advancing joint efforts to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
Calling it a “significant measure,” China’s Commerce Ministry said Tuesday that with the expanded policy taking effect on Friday, China will become the first major economy to provide unilateral, full-coverage zero-tariff treatment to all African countries with diplomatic ties, and to all least developed countries with diplomatic relations.
In a statement, the Ministry said that the zero-tariff arrangement is also an innovative and phased step as China and relevant African countries work toward the signing of the China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development agreement.
It said that at a time when unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, China’s move will expand the opening up of its market through zero-tariff treatment, creating development opportunities for African countries.
Meanwhile, by negotiating and signing the China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development agreement, China aims to ensure stable benefits for African countries and provide long-term, stable and predictable institutional safeguards for deepening China-Africa economic and trade relations.
As a concrete step demonstrating China’s unwavering commitment to expanding high-standard opening up and its initiative to open wider, the implementation of zero-tariff treatment for the 53 African countries will inject strong impetus into China-Africa trade and investment cooperation as well as Africa’s development, it said.
China’s policy announcement on Tuesday aligns with its broad efforts to build a new system of a higher-standard open economy through mutually-beneficial and open cooperation and expansion of institutional opening up over the coming years.
According to the outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), the country will actively take the initiative to open wider and create a transparent, stable and predictable institutional environment. It has also pledged to improve the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation in the years through 2030.