Chinese and African scholars have called for stronger collaboration in trade, industrialisation, research and knowledge exchange, urging both sides to ensure that China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries translates into tangible economic and development gains.
The call came at a seminar in Beijing on November 5th, organised by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University, where Ambassador for the Affairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Liu Yuxi, said China’s zero-tariff measures for African countries have started yielding results, with imports from the continent increasing by 21.6 per cent between May and September, compared with the corresponding period in 2025. “The measures will not only improve livelihoods but also provide fresh impetus for Africa’s industrialisation,” Liu said, urging scholars from both sides to deepen research on shared development priorities, exchange governance experiences and provide intellectual support for stronger economic and diplomatic relations.
China began implementing zero-tariff treatment for all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China on May 1st, 2026, becoming the first major economy to unilaterally and comprehensively implement zero-tariff treatment for all African countries with diplomatic ties and all least developed countries with diplomatic relations. The policy enables easier access for African agricultural products and light manufactured goods to the Chinese market, introducing special African products such as avocado, coffee bean, pecan and shea butter to households across China, with China-Africa trade volume exceeding $310 billion in the first nine months of this year, up by 22 per cent year-on-year.
The zero-tariff policy has effectively lowered cost for China-Africa trade and brought tangible benefit to more African small and medium-sized enterprises and farmers, with tariff eliminations ranging from 3 per cent to 10 per cent delivering immediate savings across key exports, including $11,000 in savings per 100 tons of sesame exported and nearly $450,000 in savings on Nigeria’s annual export of 7,000 tons of cattle bone granules. On day one of the policy, a single shipment of 23,000 tons of Nigerian liquefied propane saved $300,000 in taxes, with the policy’s benefits already clearly visible just three and a half months after taking effect.
The zero-tariff policy is expected to encourage more Chinese companies to invest and operate in Africa, supporting the continent’s industrialisation, agricultural modernisation and regional integration, better integrating Africa into global industry, supply and value chains, and further broadening, deepening and elevating mutually beneficial China-Africa cooperation. However, a report noted that the initiative alone will not address the structural imbalances that characterise Africa-China trade, with Africa-China merchandise trade reaching a record $348 billion in 2025 but China’s exports to Africa standing at $225 billion compared with Africa’s exports of $123 billion, leaving the continent with a trade deficit of $102 billion.
For Africa to fully benefit from the zero-tariff policy, the continent needs to move from exporting raw materials towards producing higher-value goods, with improved market access encouraging investment in manufacturing and local processing, creating employment and supporting farmers and small businesses. The policy’s success will depend on Africa’s ability to build the processing capacity, quality standards and supply chains needed to convert tariff-free access into sustained value addition and industrial development.
The seminar’s call for stronger collaboration in trade, industrialisation, research and knowledge exchange reflects a broader push to ensure that the zero-tariff policy translates into tangible economic and development gains, with the documents produced at the seminar seeking to promote cooperation between Chinese and African research institutions, encourage exchanges of governance experience and strengthen the intellectual contributions of both sides to the development of the Global South. The growing threat of unilateralism and trade protectionism makes stronger cooperation between both sides necessary, particularly following China’s decision to extend zero-tariff treatment to African countries with which it has diplomatic relations.
The challenge now is to convert the commitments and partnerships announced at the seminar into concrete research agendas, policy recommendations and implementation mechanisms that can help African countries build the industrial capacity and value chains needed to benefit fully from the zero-tariff policy.
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