China’s Zero Tariff Policy fully took off on May 1st this year. This policy grants duty-free access to China’s 1.4-billion-person market to all African countries except Eswatini (which chooses to recognize Taiwan instead of China).
The policy evolved from the limited tariff exemptions that China started offering to some Least Developed Countries (LDCs) between 2005-2010. Then in December of 2024, it began applying zero tariffs to 33 African LDCs. February of this year eventually saw President Xi Jinping of China announce an expansion to all African countries that have diplomatic ties to China, with full implementation taking off May 1st as stated earlier.
Not all African countries have complete duty-free access though. Some African countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, South Africa etc. who don’t qualify as LDCs have duty-free access up to a certain quota limit. Beyond that normal tariffs would apply.
A wonderful provision of China’s new Zero tariff policy is that it is not for only agricultural exports. It also covers light industrial goods like processed foods, apparel, textiles and footwear. Such a provision is a boost to Africa’s attempts to rise above being mere producers of primary products and engage in significant value addition if not full industrialization.
Nigeria’s exports of sesame seeds, ginger, cashews, and cocoa are expected to benefit from the new policy. The country is also expected to position its processed foods, textile and footwear sectors to benefit but in this regard, it has a lot of work to do. Below is a sample of African nations and their expected export profiles under the zero tariff policy:
| Country | Export Profile |
| Kenya | Coffee, tea, avocados, cut flowers. Kenya is positioning horticulture as a major beneficiary. |
| South Africa | Citrus fruits, wine, apples. First shipment of South African apples cleared Shenzhen customs on May 1, 2026 |
| Ghana | Cocoa beans and processed cocoa products. |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Cocoa, cashews, rubber. |
| Ethiopia | Coffee, sesame, leather goods. |
| Rwanda | Tea, coffee, minerals. |
| Senegal | Groundnuts, fish products. |
| Tanzania | Cashews, cotton, minerals. |
| Angola | Oil and agricultural diversification products |
| Madagascar | Vanilla, cloves, seafood. |
| Egypt | Citrus fruits, textiles, petrochemicals |
Some African countries have already started taking advantage of the policy. As noted in the table, South Africa’s first shipment of about 24 metric tons of apples cleared Shenzhen customs on May 1, 2026. About 516 metric tons of oranges were received in Shanghai from Egypt under the new policy. Shanghai was also the recipient of about 24 metric tons of avocados from Kenya. This leverages Kenya’s horticulture sector and existing phytosanitary agreements with China. Six thousand bottles of wine from South Africa were reported to have been cleared through customs at the Changsha Huanghua International Airport.
Nigeria is yet to take advantage of the new policy. It is believed that Nigerian exporters are still aligning with China’s customs and quota requirements, as well as the need to meet China’s strict phytosanitary and quality standards before shipments can qualify. Nigerian agribusinesses are also preparing supply chains and certification processes to take advantage of the policy in coming months.
Hopefully, Nigeria will soon get its act together to take advantage of this opportunity that is clearly a means to badly needed FX and jobs.
