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Africa the biggest beneficairy of China’s zero‑tariff policy Release date： 2026-05-06 Source：News Day
NEWSDAY Senior Reporter Tinashe Kairiza this week sat down with Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhou Ding, and discussed the Asian giant country’s offer of zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries.
Below is an excerpt of the interview:
NDW: China has announced that effective May 1, 2026, it will scrap all tariffs on imports from the 53 African countries. What does the zero-tariff policy entail and what are its significance and implications?
ZD: On February 14, 2026, in his congratulatory message to the African Union Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would fully implement zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, starting from May 1, 2026.
Meanwhile, China will continue to advance the negotiation and signing of economic partnership agreements for shared development.
Among these 53 African countries, 33 least developed countries (LDCs) already enjoy zero-tariff treatment under China’s preferential tariff scheme for LDCs.
The new zero-tariff measure, taking effect on May 1, 2026, will apply to the remaining 20 non-LDC African countries — including Zimbabwe — and will be implemented through preferential tariffs for a two-year period.
In this way, China has become the world’s first major economy to implement unilateral, comprehensive zero-tariff treatment for all African countries with which it has diplomatic ties.
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