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China will scrap tariffs for 53 African countries from May 1.
The continent’s biggest trade partner already has a zero-tarriff policy for imports from 33 African countries but decided to expand the offering last year, moving in the opposite direction to tariff-heavy US trade policy under the Trump administration. Eswatini is the only African country that will miss out on the tariff-free access as it maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which Beijing views as a breakaway province of China.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced the zero-tariff expansion as African leaders gathered in Addis Ababa for the annual African Union summit, saying it would “undoubtedly provide new opportunities for African development.”
Beijing’s announcement comes weeks after Washington’s extension of the AGOA sub-Saharan preferential trade pact. The world’s two largest economies are vying for control of African resources, including metals and minerals key for defense and electronics manufacturing. But the rush of capital could make African economies overly reliant on commodity exports, leaving them vulnerable to international price swings while failing to add value domestically.
