China has announced that effective May 1, 2026, it will scrap all tariffs on imports from the 53 African countries. Zimbabwe Independent Online’s Tendai Munhundarima (™) sat down with China’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhou Ding, (ZD), to get a better understanding.
™: What does the zero-tariff policy entail, and what are its significance and implications?
ZD: On 14 February 2026, in his congratulatory message to the African Union Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would fully implement zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, starting from May 1, 2026. Meanwhile, China will continue to advance the negotiation and signing of economic partnership agreements for shared development.
Among these 53 African countries, 33 least developed countries (LDCs) already enjoy zero-tariff treatment under China’s preferential tariff scheme for LDCs. The new zero-tariff measure, taking effect on May 1, 2026, will apply to the remaining 20 non-LDC African countries — including Zimbabwe — and will be implemented through preferential tariffs for a two-year period.
In this way, China has become the world’s first major economy to implement unilateral, comprehensive zero-tariff treatment for all African countries with which it has diplomatic ties.
This constitutes a major step for China to unswervingly expand high-level opening-up and pursue voluntary opening-up. It is an innovative measure to deliver on the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and consolidate the All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era, setting a benchmark for cooperation among developing countries worldwide. This policy also reflects China’s long-standing philosophy of cooperation with Africa — one based on sincerity, real results, amity, good faith, mutual benefit, and equity. It fully accommodates the development needs and practical interests of African countries, comes with no political strings attached, and embodies a partnership of equality and mutual respect.
This unilateral tariff elimination connects China’s vast market with Africa’s development potential, and will surely inject strong impetus into China-Africa trade and investment cooperation as well as Africa’s economic modernization. It also helps African countries better withstand external trade pressures, advances high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, upholds the multilateral trading system, and contributes to global economic stability.
™: How is China’s zero-tariff policy going to benefit Zimbabwe and China?
- The brains behind Matavire’s immortalisation
- Red Cross work remembered
- All set for inaugural job fair
- Community trailblazers: Dr Guramatunhu: A hard-driving achiever yearning for better Zim
Keep Reading
ZD: For both Zimbabwe and the African continent as a whole, China’s zero-tariff policy represents a historic development opportunity. China’s decision is one of the most comprehensive, significant unilateral market-opening measures ever extended to Africa. By lowering the threshold for African products to enter the vast Chinese market, it gives African countries a unique competitive edge in the global trading landscape.
Zimbabwe stands to gain three key benefits:
First, the policy will cut the cost of Zimbabwean exports to China, boostingtheir competitiveness and market access. Tariff elimination will make Zimbabwean goods more price-competitive, driving up export volumes, creating jobs and increasing foreign exchange earnings.
Second, the policy will promote value addition and industrial upgrading. By attracting more investment — domestically and globally — Zimbabwe can process products locally before export, moving up the value chain, while facilitating technology transfer and skills development.
Third, the policy will support export diversification and enhance economic resilience, encouraging the development of processed agricultural products and industrial goods and creating new export drivers for Zimbabwe. It will also promote China-Zimbabwe cooperation in services trade, digital trade, green industries and sustainable development, strengthening Zimbabwe’s independent development capacity and accelerating its modernization.
For China, the policy enables the import of high-quality African products (including from Zimbabwe) to meet its consumer market’s diverse needs, while creating new opportunities for China to deepen trade, investment and industrial cooperation with Zimbabwe and Africa.
™: What was the level of trade between Zimbabwe and China last year? How do you project trade to grow between the two countries when China’s new trade policy in Africa becomes effective?
ZD: According to Chinese customs data, bilateral trade between China and Zimbabwe reached approximately US$4.4 billion in 2025—a year-on-year increase of 15.2% and a record high. Zimbabwe exported about US$2.57 billion worth of goods to China and imported around US$1.83 billion, yielding a trade surplus of roughly US$0.74 billion for Zimbabwe.
Looking ahead, China’s new zero‑tariff policy for African exports, combined with deeper industrial cooperation, is expected to further expand bilateral trade volumes. Moreover, our two‑way trade will gradually evolve into a more integrated model, leading to a more diversified trade structure.
Beyond processed minerals and tobacco, agricultural and horticultural products—such as citrus, avocados, macadamia nuts, blueberries, and flowers—are poised to become new growth areas. For example, China’s avocado imports have grown at an average annual rate of over 20% in recent years. Zimbabwe’s favourable climate for avocado cultivation, together with the zero‑tariff policy, offers an unprecedented opportunity for Zimbabwean avocados to enter China’s premium fruit market. Similarly, processed nuts, essential oils, leather, cotton textiles, and other goods can gradually enter or expand their presence in the Chinese market.
In short, China’s new trade policy leverages the strengths of both countries—China’s large market and Zimbabwe’s agricultural and resource advantages—to achieve higher trade volumes, a more diversified export structure, and a stronger long‑term economic partnership.
™: How is the trade policy by Beijing going to deepen trade ties with Africa?
ZD: China’s zero‑tariff policy is a landmark initiative to deepen trade relations with Africa. By removing tariffs, it enables more African products to enter the Chinese market with greater competitiveness, helping unlock the continent’s untapped trade potential and delivering concrete benefits for local livelihoods.
The policy’s impact is already visible. Between December 2024 (when China first extended zero‑tariff treatment to 33 African least developed countries) and March 2025, China’s imports from those countries surged by 15.2% to reach US$21.42 billion. In the first quarter of 2026—despite disruptions from the war in Iran—total trade between China and Africa exceeded US$90 billion, growing by 23.7% year‑on‑year, with China’s imports from Africa rising by 14.6%. These figures show how tariff cuts translate directly into trade growth.
The zero‑tariff measure also serves as an early‑harvest outcome of the ongoing China-Africa Economic Partnership Agreement (CADEPA) negotiations, including those with Zimbabwe. CADEPA is a free‑trade‑oriented framework built on four pillars: trade, supply chains, green development, and the digital economy. Going forward, China and Zimbabwe will prioritise negotiations on the trade and supply chain modules, aiming for early conclusion. The agreement will address both tariff and non‑tariff measures, providing long‑term, predictable institutional support for bilateral economic cooperation.
Beyond zero tariffs, China will introduce additional measures on market access, inspection, quarantine, and customs facilitation. We will also strengthen skills and technical training to help African countries meet China’s sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and promote high‑quality African products through e‑commerce platforms, the China International Import Expo, and FOCAC events.
China stands ready to work with African countries, including Zimbabwe, to further expand trade, deepen industrial and value‑chain cooperation, and foster more opportunities for shared development. Through closer partnership, we will support Africa’s industrialisation and economic diversification, delivering greater benefits to our peoples.
