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China announced that from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2028, zero-tariff treatment will be applied to 20 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China and are not classified as least developed countries, according to a release by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council on Tuesday. 

This move represents the active implementation of China's earlier commitments.

For products subject to tariff-rate quotas, only the in-quota tariff rates will be reduced to zero, while out-of-quota rates will remain unchanged. During the two-year implementation period, China will continue to promote the signing of economic partnership agreements for shared development with relevant African countries, per the statement.

For the 33 African least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China, China has granted zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines since December 1, 2024.

The latest move to further grant zero-tariff treatment to the remaining 20 African countries with diplomatic ties with China reflects China's proactive stance on expanding high-standard opening-up, and will play an important role in strengthening China-Africa economic and trade ties and promoting the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, the statement said.

Global Times