The move is expected to bolster trade relations amid mounting uncertainty over access to Unites States (US) markets.

The decision was announced during a high-level China-Africa co-operation forum this week and comes as several African countries brace for the possible impact of higher US tariffs on their exports.

China has held its position as Africa’s largest trading partner for the past 15 years. In 2023 alone, the continent exported goods worth an estimated $170 billion to the Asian economic giant. The lifting of tariffs is expected to ease access for African products to the Chinese market and could serve as a counterbalance to shifting trade dynamics elsewhere.

A joint ministerial statement issued at the forum took aim at what it described as “efforts by certain countries to disrupt the global economic and trade system” through the use of unilateral tariff measures. While the statement did not name specific countries, the reference is widely seen as a critique of recent protectionist policies in the US.

Observers say the move positions China as a more consistent and accessible partner for African nations seeking to expand trade links and diversify export destinations.

--ChannelAfrica--