More than 100 days after China announced a zero tariff policy for 53 African countries it has diplomatic relations with, African exports to China are increasing. And businesses across the continent are increasingly shifting to processing, packaging and higher value production.
Greater access to the Chinese market has been granted to African products like avocados, apples, oranges, blueberries, wine, coffee and chili since May 1.
Imports from Africa were 193.8 billion yuan (28.72 billion U.S. dollars) in May and June, up 23.5 percent from a year earlier, according to data from Chinese customs.
Imports of avocados, apples and oranges rose by 130 percent, 89.6 percent and 27.9 percent, respectively.
The first shipment to benefit from the policy was 24 tons of South African apples that arrived in China via Shenzhen Bay Port on May 1. Since then, products from Kenya, Zimbabwe and other African countries have become more and more visible on Chinese supermarket shelves.
South African wine exporters have also experienced renewed interest from Chinese buyers. “We have seen importers that had imported wines from South Africa that decided to revisit the category, and have shown interest again,” said Steffi Layer of Diemersdal Wine Estate.
She added that future shipments will “absolutely” benefit from the policy as “the pricing will be more competitive than before.”
China has also further opened up its market by signing quarantine agreements and implementing trade facilitation measures, which have eased the entry of products such as African coffee, cashew nuts, dried chilies and wild aquatic products into the Chinese market.
In Zimbabwe, the policy helped open the door for the first-ever shipment of blueberries to China. “Access to China creates space for increased production, improved cold-chain infrastructure, enhanced packaging, increased certification capacity and enhanced employment along the value chain,” said ZimTrade CEO Allan Majuru.
INDUSTRIAL UPGRADING
The policy is also pushing African producers to step beyond exporting raw materials.
In Rwanda, Fisher Global has transitioned from exporting dried chili to providing higher-value pickled chili products.
“The zero-tariff treatment has revived our chili business,” said General Manager Herman Uwizeyimana, adding new Chinese buyers were expressing interest in the company’s products.
“This new venture has opened up wider markets for Rwandan chili exports and has raised the bar for our company’s product selection and quality,” he added.
“This (zero-tariff treatment) creates a more competitive business environment for Rwandan exporters especially small and medium-sized enterprises where price is not such a big barrier as it was before,” said Robert Rukundo of the Horticulture Exporters Association of Rwanda.
African coffee producers are seeing similar prospects. Awo Coffee, an Ethiopian company, sends about 90 percent of its roasted products to China. Ethiopia’s coffee industry is hoping China’s growing demand for specialty coffee will make the country one of its largest export markets.
Experts say that you cannot judge the success of the policy by export figures alone. Paul Frimpong of the Africa-China Center for Policy and Advisory said the real impact (of China’s zero-tariff treatment) should not be judged solely by the volume of exports in the first 100 days. “We should also look at how African businesses are raising their game in terms of quality standards, packaging, certification and production capacity.”
He again highlighted the significance of local processing, “This is a major opportunity for Ghana because we should not continue exporting raw cocoa beans, raw cashew nuts and other unprocessed products mostly. We need to process, package and brand more of these goods locally before we export them. “That will allow us to keep more of the value and create more jobs at home.”
Burundian President and Chairperson of the African Union, Evariste Ndayishimiye, also spoke of the opportunity to bring “higher incomes for our products, the creation of sustainable jobs for our youth and, above all, the development of local processing so that added value remains on the African continent”.
The policy is being framed as part of a wider economic partnership between China and Africa, centered on trade, industrialization and modernization.
Meanwhile, China’s exports of electromechanical products to Africa hit 534.11 billion yuan (79 billion dollars) in the first half of 2026, up 28.8 percent year on year. About 75 percent of China’s exports to Africa are capital and intermediate goods that help industrial and agricultural development.
“It is not just aid that China offers to Africa,” said Charles Onunaiju of the Center for China Studies in Nigeria. It gives Africa an opportunity for transformation thru production, industrialization and trade.”
China’s zero-tariff policy could deepen economic ties with increased market access and growing African exports, along with a growing focus on local processing, allowing African economies to capture more value from their resources and production.
