China Drops Tariffs on Africa: Will Trade Flows Really Change?

Official data from China’s General Administration of Customs and the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) confirm a major policy change in June 2025: China will remove tariffs on imports from all 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations.

This move, announced at a high-level meeting in Changsha, aims to boost African exports and deepen economic ties. The only African country excluded is Eswatini, due to its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan.

China’s decision comes as Africa faces higher tariffs in other major markets, including the United States. Chinese authorities state that the new zero-tariff policy will cover all product categories, extending benefits previously available only to least-developed African countries.

Now, major African economies—such as South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Kenya—will gain duty-free access to the Chinese market. The policy covers over 8,000 products, including agricultural goods, minerals, textiles, and processed foods.

Trade figures show the scale of the relationship. In the first five months of 2025, China-Africa trade reached $134.16 billion, up 12.4 percent from the same period in 2024.

Chinese exports to Africa totaled $83.51 billion, while African exports to China reached $50.65 billion. This resulted in a trade deficit for Africa of $32.86 billion, as lower commodity prices continued to impact the continent’s export revenues.

China has held the position of Africa’s largest trading partner for sixteen years. China mainly exports finished goods to Africa, such as machinery and electronics.

African exports to China remain dominated by raw materials, including crude oil, copper, cobalt, and iron ore. Chinese authorities have acknowledged this imbalance and describe the tariff removal as a step toward supporting Africa’s industrialization and value addition.

China has also signed 22 protocols on agricultural exports with 18 African nations and registered over 2,400 African food enterprises for export to China. The Chinese government frames this policy as a counter to protectionist measures elsewhere.

The Changsha Declaration, signed at the FOCAC meeting, criticized unilateral tariffs and called for trade relations based on equality and mutual benefit. The policy also aligns with China’s broader strategy to diversify its import sources and strengthen its global supply chains.

African exporters, however, still face challenges entering the Chinese market. Non-tariff barriers—such as logistics, quality standards, and cold chain infrastructure—remain significant.

The trade relationship continues to favor China, with African exports largely limited to raw materials and China exporting mostly finished goods. China’s tariff removal represents a tangible shift in global trade flows.

It offers African producers a rare opportunity to access the world’s second-largest economy on more favorable terms. Whether African nations can capitalize on this opening depends on their ability to meet Chinese standards and overcome logistical hurdles.

The numbers show a growing but still uneven relationship, with China’s mercantile interests and Africa’s export ambitions now more closely linked than ever.

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