China’s zero-tariff offer to Africa: windfall—or Trojan horse?
The Mail & Guardian | 06.05.2026 17:19
China says it will grant zero-tariff treatment to imports from the 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations—excluding only Eswatini, which recognizes Taiwan. The expanded arrangement took effect on 1 May 2026 and is scheduled to run for two years, through 30 April 2028. It builds on an earlier phase launched on 1 December 2024, when China extended zero tariffs across 100% of tariff lines to 33 African least-developed countries. In short: duty-free access is being widened from the poorest economies to almost the entire continent, and across a broad range of products—from agriculture and minerals to semi-processed and manufactured goods.
