China's new zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries has drawn praise from the international community, with major public figures from saying the move will boost the competitiveness of African products and contribute to the continent's development.
Speaking in an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Kishore Mahbubani, former permanent representative of Singapore to the United Nations, said that the move offers a timely boost to Africa's export economy.
"I think that is a major contribution that China is making towards the development of Africa, because at a time, as you know, in a year when the United States has increased tariffs on many countries across the world, including African countries, it's good for China to announce it's going to have zero-percent tariffs," said Mahbubani.
African countries have echoed that welcoming sentiment in response to the policy. Seychelles President Patrick Herminie said it would greatly enhance the competitiveness of the island country's goods and spur growth in certain sectors of its economy.
"The competitiveness of our goods would be greatly, tremendously improved. And at the same time, it can spur certain development, especially when it comes to the blue economy. That will encourage local businesses to go into business like aquaculture, the production of a lot of seafoods that are consumed in China," said Herminie.
Starting from May 1, China has expanded its zero-tariff treatment to cover all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties. The country has already scrapped tariffs on 100 percent of tariff lines for 33 least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa since Dec 1, 2024.
Int'l figures welcome China's new zero-tariff policy as boost to Africa's development
Ethiopian coffee, famous for its unique flavor, is quickly gaining ground in the Chinese market, and producers hope to further propel exports by leveraging China's newly implemented zero-tariff measures.
China's zero-tariff policy for all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations takes effect on Friday, marking a new stage for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.
For Ethiopia, the policy opens a timely growth avenue. The country ranks among the top five global coffee producers, and China has already emerged as its fourth-largest export market.
Finette, a coffee trader from the east African country, recently traveled to China to visit a coffee processing company in central China's Henan Province. During the trip, she hopes to establish a more stable and in-depth cooperative relationship this and other Chinese companies.
"I came here be because this company is a key buyer of green (coffee) beans from Ethiopia. I also come here for displaying Ethiopian traditional culture, information sharing. I'm the delegate of coffee trading company in Ethiopia. I hope more and more Chinese can drink coffee, drink the original Ethiopian coffee," said Finette.
On Thursday, the first branded store in China specializing in African coffee officially opened inside Zhengzhou Airport, a major import hub in the country's eastern region. The store is run by Huichuan Industrial Development Company, which has cooperated directly with Ethiopia and invested 300 million yuan (about 43.9 million US dollars) in the construction of a coffee processing industrial demonstration park in 2020.
"We already have more than a dozen varieties of African coffee on display here. We want to make high-quality African coffee a local specialty of Henan and bring it to more friends from other places," said Lu Ying, deputy general manager of the company.
Ethiopia's blooming coffee trade is part of a larger story. Trade between China and Africa has reached a record high for five consecutive years and is expected to exceed 300 billion US dollars for the first time in 2025. China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years. Over the past five years, China's annual imports of agricultural products from Africa have averaged over 5 billion US dollars.
"Since China expanded cooperation through unilateral openness, more and more African agricultural products have entered the Chinese market, such as Ethiopian coffee, Egyptian citrus fruits, South African pecans, and Kenyan avocados. This is partly due to China's expanding zero-tariff policy towards the least developed African countries, and partly a result of cooperation between relevant government departments and enterprises,” said Jing Ning, deputy director of the Department of West Asian and African Affairs under the Ministry of Commerce.
Ethiopian coffee gains momentum in China as zero-tariff policy takes effect
