China to grant zero-tariff treatment to all African countries with diplomatic ties
China will remove tariffs on 100% of lines for African countries with diplomatic ties, a move officials say could boost exports and job creation.
- Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Nigeria Yu Dunhai announced Tuesday in Abuja that China will implement a zero-tariff policy for 100 per cent of tariff lines for African countries with diplomatic ties starting May 1, 2026.
- Dunhai made the announcement during the handover of the newly completed $56.5 million headquarters for the ECOWAS Commission, a complex constructed by the Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Corporation.
- ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray commended the Chinese Government for the policy, stating it will increase productivity, technology transfer, and job creation across the region.
- Formal commissioning of the headquarters will occur later this year, with Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu leading the official inauguration ceremony alongside other heads of state.
- Dunhai emphasized that over 70 years of China's Africa policy underpins these initiatives, describing them as a testament to the "continuity and evolution of China's Africa policy.
61 Articles
61 Articles
As of today, China has lifted all import tariffs for almost the entire African continent. Only the tiny kingdom of Swaziland remains subject to tariffs because it maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan. According to the BBC, China is primarily trying to portray itself as a friend of Africa with this move, while it remains questionable whether African countries will actually benefit from it.
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