China plans to drop all tariffs on imports from 53 African states with which it has diplomatic ties, a move that would expand Beijing’s preferential trade policy, which previously focused on least developed countries.
The plan was announced after a meeting of African foreign ministers with senior Chinese officials in Changsha for the review of the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) actions.
Currently, the Asian economic giant offers duty-free market access to 33 least-development countries (LDCs) across the continent, including Uganda and Tanzania.
The new economy pact, when formalized, will extend the duty-free market to middle-income states like Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. The only African nation excluded from this deal is Eswatini, due to its diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
The move aims to open up China’s vast consumer market to a wider range of African goods, potentially helping to rebalance the current trade imbalance, which heavily favors China.
In addition to tariff removal, China promised to offer product marketing assistance and training for African businesses, particularly from low-income states, to boost their competitiveness in the Chinese market.
This decision is also seen as a strategic move by China to strengthen its influence in Africa and counter Western trade policies, particularly in light of recent tariff increases by the United States on some African goods.
China-Africa trade has seen significant expansion over the past two decades, with China consistently being Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. In 2024, the total trade volume between China and Africa reached approximately $295 billion.
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