China ready to drop all tariffs on African imports

China has announced a significant change in its trade policy with Africa by stating it is ready to remove all tariffs on imports from the 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations. This announcement was made during a China-Africa cooperation meeting and comes at a time when African exports face the risk of increased tariffs from the United States. For the past 15 years, China has been Africa's largest trading partner, with African exports to China reaching approximately 170 billion dollars in 2023.

During the meeting, a joint ministerial statement criticized certain countries for disrupting the international economic and trade order by imposing tariffs unilaterally. The statement urged the United States to resolve trade disputes based on principles of equality, respect, and mutual benefit. The proposed zero-tariff policy will expand on a previous agreement made last year, which exempted 33 African nations classified as least developed from tariffs. The new plan will include major African trading partners such as South Africa and Nigeria, although China has not yet specified when the policy will take effect. Notably, Eswatini is excluded from this tariff removal because it recognizes Taiwan as an independent country, a stance that China opposes.

China imports a large amount of raw materials from Africa, particularly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea. Earlier this year, the United States announced high tariffs on imports from several African countries, including a 50% tariff on goods from Lesotho, 30% on South African products, and 14% on Nigerian goods. These tariffs have been temporarily paused but may be extended if the affected countries continue to negotiate in good faith, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. In 2024, the US imported goods worth 39. 5 billion dollars from Africa, some of which were covered under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, a zero-tariff agreement that now faces uncertainty due to the potential new US tariffs.