Zero tariffs, bigger challenge: Africa faces value-addition test in expanding trade with China
New Delhi, Sep 17
China's decision to grant zero-tariff access to exports from over 50 African countries is expected to boost trade flows but the initiative alone will not address the structural imbalances that characterise Africa-China trade, a report has said.
A report by The Diplomat said that the issue was in focus at a seminar in Abuja on August 14 attended by nearly 500 government officials, diplomats, academics and business leaders.
A Nigerian minister cautioned against viewing tariff relief as a cure-all for African economies, it added.
"Zero tariffs alone do not guarantee success," the minister said and noted that the key challenge is not whether African countries can export more but whether they can export better through greater value addition.
China's policy -- implemented on May 1 -- grants duty-free access across 100 per cent of tariff lines for countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Beijing.
Early indicators suggest a positive impact with Chinese imports from Africa rising 23.5 per cent year-on-year to $28.7 billion in May and June, the report said.
It further noted that imports from Nigeria alone reportedly climbed more than 40 per cent during the period.
Moreover, Africa-China merchandise trade reached a record $348 billion in 2025, but China's exports to Africa stood at $225 billion compared with Africa's exports of $123 billion, leaving the continent with a trade deficit of $102 billion.
According to the report, the imbalance stems less from market access and more from the composition of trade.
It showed that nearly 89 per cent of African exports to China between 2000 and 2022 came from extractive industries such as oil, copper and iron ore, while manufactured products accounted for the vast majority of imports from China.
— IANS
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