In a world where trade is increasingly politicized, China’s zero-tariff approach offers an alternative vision — one based on openness, partnership and shared development

At a time when protectionism, geopolitical fragmentation and industrial rivalries are impacting the global economy, China’s decision to grant zero-tariff treatment to the 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations stands out as both strategic and consequential. It is more than a trade adjustment — it is a clear signal about the future direction of South-South economic cooperation. China’s approach signals a move away from traditional North-South hierarchies toward more horizontal, partnership-based models of cooperation that emphasize mutual benefit, market access and shared growth.

Global trade is under growing strain. The World Trade Organization reports continued uncertainty in trade policies into 2026, alongside uneven and fragile growth. Against this backdrop, China’s move to eliminate tariffs on exports from the 53 African countries it has diplomatic ties with offers a clear alternative: It reaffirms that openness — rather than fragmentation — remains significant to sustainable growth.

Recent WTO monitoring trends indicate new tariffs and other import measures increased more than fourfold from mid-October 2024 to mid-October 2025 compared to the prior 12-month period, marking the highest coverage in over 15 years of WTO trade monitoring. China’s zero-tariff policy therefore can function as a stabilizing countermeasure, preserving export opportunities for African economies in an increasingly restrictive global trade environment.

This policy reinforces China’s role as a leading practitioner of South-South cooperation, shifting the emphasis from assistance to market-driven opportunity. It aligns with broader development goals while giving African economies direct access to one of the world’s largest consumer markets.

The scale of China-Africa engagement underscores the importance of this initiative. According to China’s General Administration of Customs, bilateral trade between Africa and China exceeded $348 billion in 2025, with continued expansion into 2026 driven by commodity exports and manufacturing linkages. Africa is deepening its integration into global value chains, with China acting as a central partner. Removing tariffs strengthens this trajectory by lowering costs, improving competitiveness and encouraging export growth. Moreover, China’s increasing share of African exports in some key sectors means that the tariff removal not only boosts trade volumes but also reduces price volatility risks for exporters, enabling more predictable planning and investment decisions.

For African economies, the implications are immediate. In agriculture, duty-free access enhances the competitiveness of products such as cocoa, coffee, sesame, tea and fresh produce. China’s middle-income group — now numbering more than 400 million — continues to drive demand for high-quality imports, creating opportunities for African exporters. The expansion of agricultural exports, including products such as Kenyan avocados, shows how improved market access can generate tangible gains.

At the same time, a core challenge persists across the “farm to market” system: Many African farmers produce more than ever but capture limited value because they remain confined to fragmented local markets, dependent on intermediaries and disconnected from global pricing and demand. By eliminating tariffs, China’s policy can help transform this dynamic into a “farm to global market” system, creating stronger demand signals, improving price competitiveness and encouraging investment in logistics, processing and digital trade platforms that connect producers directly to international buyers. This shift is particularly significant for smallholder farmers, who constitute the majority of Africa’s agricultural workforce.

In the minerals sector, the impact is even more strategic. Africa holds significant reserves of lithium, copper and rare earth elements — resources essential for the green transition and advanced manufacturing sectors. Zero tariffs improve price competitiveness and can attract further investment in extraction and processing in Africa. However, long-term benefits will depend on whether some African countries can move beyond raw material exports to value-added production, which underscores the importance of industrial policy coordination.

Manufacturing also stands to gain. Light industries such as textiles, garments and leather goods can leverage tariff-free access to enter the Chinese market, supporting job creation. Those African countries investing in industrial parks and export-oriented production are particularly well positioned to benefit. Emerging sectors, including processed foods, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods, offer additional opportunities for diversification. Historical experience from export-led economies suggests that preferential market access can serve as a catalyst for industrial take-off when combined with supportive policies such as skills development, infrastructure investment and access to finance.

Beyond sectoral gains, the policy has broader developmental implications. By facilitating trade, it supports industrialization, employment and income growth. It also complements existing cooperation frameworks, including infrastructure investment and industrial partnerships, creating a more integrated model linking trade, investment and capacity-building. This reflects a broader shift toward development ecosystems, where trade policy, infrastructure, finance and technology interact to produce cumulative economic effects rather than isolated gains.

Yet a deeper challenge remains: coordination across fragmented markets. In some African economies, increased production and trade integration have not translated into proportional gains in income or value capture. This is because producers, exporters, logistics providers, financiers and regulators operate in poorly aligned systems marked by information gaps and weak linkages. As a result, companies struggle to scale production, meet standards and move up value chains.

In this context, China’s zero-tariff policy goes beyond conventional trade liberalization. By guaranteeing large-scale market access, it reduces uncertainty, anchors demand and creates stronger incentives for coordination. Lower tariffs make it possible for companies to invest more in logistics, quality upgrading and market integration, aligning incentives across supply chains. When combined with digital tools — such as e-commerce platforms, digital payments and logistics tracking systems — this can help overcome coordination failures and connect fragmented markets. Digital coordination infrastructure further enhances this process by enabling real-time communication, improving transaction efficiency and increasing transparency across supply chains.

To fully benefit, however, African countries must address structural constraints. Logistics inefficiencies, high transport costs and non-tariff barriers — including certification requirements and customs procedures — continue to restrict trade potential.

Maximizing the benefits of zero tariffs will therefore require complementary policies. African countries must invest in productive capacity, strengthen their regulatory systems and deepen regional integration through initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area. Upgrading value chains and improving export quality will also be essential to translate market access into sustained growth.

Therefore, China’s zero-tariff policy should be seen not as an endpoint, but as an enabling framework. It opens the door to deeper economic engagement and practical regional cooperation.

The author is an associate professor and the executive director of the Center for Nigerian Studies at the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University.

The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.