Business operators in Nigeria and Sierra Leone have warmly welcomed China's expansion of zero-tariff treatment for goods exported from Africa, hailing the move as a catalyst for deeper trade ties and economic growth across the continent.
On Friday, China officially expanded its zero-tariff policy to cover all 53 African nations with which it maintains diplomatic relations. The move aims to create new pathways for African exports and industrialization at a time when global trade faces mounting pressures from protectionism.
The policy builds upon earlier measures: since Dec 1, 2024, China has already eliminated tariffs on 100 percent of tariff lines for 33 least developed countries in Africa. The latest expansion now includes economies that are relatively more developed, such as Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria, opening doors for a broader range of African products to enter the Chinese market duty-free.
"China is offering tariff-free, zero-tariff trade to African countries, [which] is a very big move, 53 of them, out of 54 [countries]. So, it's almost the entire continent. At a time when Europe and America think everything has to be tit-for-tat. So, that for me is very significant because it boosts trade relations, it's soft diplomatic power, it boosts economic development, and the fallback effect is going to be that it's going to improve a lot of African economies, and it's going to also improve agricultural production most especially," said Julius Ogar, a Nigerian agripreneur.
For entrepreneurs like Isha Bangura, a businesswoman from Sierra Leone, the policy represents a tangible opportunity to enhance cross-border commerce.
"That kind of business, taking products from Africa to China, is a very good idea. It is something that can bring significant development to us, especially for those of us who travel to China for trade and return home. China is a great place to do business. When I go there, I purchase a wide range of items, products for women, children and men, a blend of different goods. Traveling to China is a good experience. It opens your eyes to many opportunities. It is truly a big opportunity. However, one key area we would like to see improved is shipping. We need our goods to arrive more quickly, so we can sell faster, return to China, and continue the cycle of trade efficiently," said Bangura.
Jinnah Charles, a Sierra Leone farmer, also expressed his eagerness to access the Chinese market, as well as a hope that his country will benefit from greater two-way trade.
"I am ready to do business with China if I have the opportunity. We pray that this becomes a reality, because most of the goods we produce here are only used locally. But if we are able to trade with China, I believe we will see more imports, and they will also bring in a wider range of goods for us," he said.
"At the same time, we can export our own products to them, things that I believe they may also need. From this palm tree, we produce many useful items. We use the sticks for boiling and stirring palm kernel nuts. We also make brooms from it. When we break the palm kernel nuts, they produce palm kernel oil. We also use it to make soap. Even the husk is useful. We use it as fuel to make fire, and it burns well even during the rainy season," Charles added.
China's commerce ministry said in a statement that the zero-tariff policy will lend a competitive edge to African products, such as cocoa from Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, coffee and avocados from Kenya, and citrus fruits and wine from South Africa, which used to face tariffs ranging from 8 percent to 30 percent.
The ministry noted that zero tariffs will help encourage China and other trading partners to increase investment in Africa, bringing capital, technology, equipment and management expertise to process African specialty products locally. It will also make China-Africa trade more balanced and its growth more sustainable.
China is Africa's largest trading partner. According to China's General Administration of Customs, China-Africa trade hit a record high of 348 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. Of this total, China's imports from Africa amounted to 123 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 5.4 percent year on year.
African businesses hail China's zero-tariff policy as catalyst for deeper economic, trade ties
