China to remove tariffs on goods from all African countries

The China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development would offer duty free access to the Chinese market to all African countries, if agreed by the two sides.

The measure was announced as African foreign ministers gathered in central China to review the implementation of outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held last September.

The initiative aims to facilitate greater market access for African exports, especially from least developed countries, and inject new momentum into China-Africa economic ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory to the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of FOCAC Follow-up Actions, held in Changsha, China.

Zero-tariff treatment was only available to 33 African countries previously.

China is now the continent’s largest trading partner, with total trade reaching nearly US$300 billion in 2024.