China steals a march on the US by announcing a free trade deal with Africa
Amid the uncertainty brought about by the threatened US tariffs on South Africa and some other African countries, African economies are heartened by a new free trade deal with China.
China has already offered duty-free access to many of the least-developed African states, but now even Africa’s larger economies, such as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco, will join the club.
South Africa is nervously awaiting the final US decision on tariffs on South African fruit, expected within the next week. South African authorities confirmed this morning that they have asked the US administration to delay their decision on the new tariffs to allow more time for negotiations.
In the meantime, China has stolen much of the limelight by announcing its own free-trade deal for Africa. China’s sweeping new tariff-free trade pact with Africa is turning heads from Nairobi to Washington. Although many of the details are still needs to be announced, essentially, Beijing will remove all import tariffs on goods from 53 African countries, which is every nation it has diplomatic ties with.
This was announced at a meeting in Changsha, China – a follow-up to last year’s big China-Africa summit – where Chinese officials and African ministers agreed on the plan. The only African country left out is Eswatini, which recognises Taiwan and lacks relations with Beijing. This makes nearly a continent-wide free trade gesture. The announcement has been generally welcomed, with one report referring to applause in ministerial corridors from Nairobi to Niamey as leaders saw new opportunity to boost exports.
According to media reports the pact isn’t a single bilateral treaty but a broad economic arrangement between China and the African continent. Chinese premier Xi Jinping’s government is driving it, and African Union members are the beneficiaries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa who were looking for better access to the world’s second-largest economy.
It builds on commitments made at the September 2024 Beijing summit, where China promised deeper trade ties with Africa. While full implementation details are still emerging, the political will is clear. One source said: “Beijing is throwing open its market to Africa. Crucially, this isn’t limited to the poorest countries”.
