China is poised to grant tariff-free access to imports from 53 of Africa’s 54 countries, multiple media outlets reported. The new pact excludes Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), the only African nation that has never established diplomatic relations with Beijing.
An implementation date for the deal has not been confirmed, but details were announced at last week’s ministerial follow-up meeting to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held last year in Beijing.
At the follow-up meeting, held in Changsha, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian framed the move as a strategic response to “global uncertainty” – likely a reference to US President Donald Trump’s erratic trade policies.
Lin also emphasised the importance of “solidarity and cooperation with African countries” to China’s foreign policies, and its role in “achieving unity and self-reliance in the Global South.”
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African countries face some of the steepest tariff hikes under Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” announcement in April. They are set to recommence after a 90-day pause ends on 8 July (although Trump has indicated a willingness to extend the hiatus).
China granted duty- and quota-free market access to Africa’s 33 least developed countries (LDCs) in December 2024. Between then and March 2025, imports from those markets saw a 15.2 percent year-on-year increase, according to data published in state media.
To counter competition disadvantages Africa’s LDCs – which include Portuguese-speaking nations like Angola, Mozambique and Equatorial Guinea – could face from the continents’ more developed countries under the new deal, China also promised to invest in supporting their export capacity.
Last year saw trade between China and the African continent reach 2.1 trillion yuan (about US$292.4 billion) in 2024, according to data from the General Administration of Customs that was published by state media. China is the continent’s biggest trading partner, its largest investor and its main creditor.
