People's Daily Online: Starting from May 1, 2026, China will implement zero tariffs on all African countries that have established diplomatic relations. This will result in a win-win situation

Beijing, May 2 (Reporter Li Qiaochu) Recently, the Tariff Commission of the State Council issued a notice that from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2028, zero tariffs will be implemented in the form of preferential tax rates for 20 African countries that do not belong to the least developed countries and have diplomatic relations with China; Among them, tariff quota products only reduce the tariff rate within the quota to zero, while the tariff rate outside the quota remains unchanged. During the 2-year implementation period, China will continue to promote the signing of economic partnership agreements for common development with relevant African countries.
This means that from May 1, 2026, China will become the world's first major economy to implement unilateral and comprehensive zero tariffs on all African countries and all least developed countries with diplomatic relations.
At midnight on May 1st, 24 tons of fresh apples produced in South Africa were quickly supervised and released by Shenzhen Bay Customs officers, and smoothly entered the country through the Shenzhen Bay Port. This batch of apples will soon be distributed to major supermarkets and fruit and vegetable wholesale markets.
It is reported that South Africa is an important exporter of high-quality fresh fruits worldwide, with sufficient sunlight and large temperature differences between day and night. The fruits have high sweetness and excellent quality. With the implementation of the comprehensive zero tariff measure, the import tariff on South African apples has been reduced from 10% to 0, significantly improving the cost advantage of the goods.
The zero tariff measure is a real benefit for us, "said Luo Shengcong, General Manager of Shenzhen Jianchengye International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. In the past, importing similar goods from South Africa required paying the most favored nation tariff according to regulations. After the zero tariff measure was implemented, the tariff cost was directly reduced to zero, and this batch of goods alone could save about 20000 yuan in tariffs.
In order to enable enterprises to truly enjoy the benefits brought by the zero tariff measures, we have set up a consulting service window, actively promoting the rules of origin and providing guidance for enterprises to enjoy benefits. For this South African fruit import, the customs pre examined the import documents in advance, and a dedicated person followed up throughout the process to ensure efficient and fast customs clearance of goods, "said Xia Yingli, Chief of the Comprehensive Business Department of Shenzhen Bay Customs.
In order to seize policy dividends, many foreign trade enterprises have already laid out in advance and steadily expanded their import scale.
The warehouse of Ningbo Beiyi Import and Export Co., Ltd. is filled with brass ingots shipped from South Africa, Angola, and Algeria, saying, "If you pay 300000 less tariffs every month, it will be 6 million in a year. In Yinzhou, Ningbo, the heads of several companies engaged in African import business have already calculated the "tax reduction account", and the annual tariff savings of millions or even tens of millions of yuan are accelerating their expansion of procurement scale in Africa.
In addition to adjusting the import scale, some enterprises have adjusted their product strategies and sought new sources of profit growth.
Wang Xinguo, General Manager of Ningbo Beiyuan Technology Co., Ltd., said, "The comprehensive zero tariff measures will greatly expand our procurement scope for African coffee beans, providing a strong cost advantage for the company to optimize its supply chain and explore diversified high-quality sources. With the policy dividend, we can import more high-quality coffee beans with higher unit prices and unique flavors. While meeting the market's demand for product differentiation, it can also further enhance the company's competitiveness in the market
To ensure the smooth implementation of policies, Ningbo Customs has planned in advance, through on-site research, discussions and exchanges, to grasp the awareness of enterprises on preferential policies and their demand for tariff guidance, and to improve supporting service measures. Zhang Jiaxing, Deputy Director of Haishu Customs, said, "We leverage our expertise in centralized inspection and assessment, rely on big data to establish specialized models, conduct inspections of import enterprises, deepen contacts with enterprises based on the existing special preferential tariff treatment for the least developed countries, strengthen targeted policy publicity, and promote precise and efficient direct implementation of comprehensive zero tariff measures to enterprises
Zero tariffs will reduce the cost of African products entering the Chinese market, providing a competitive advantage for African products in the Chinese market. At the same time, zero tariffs also provide conditions for African products to expand exports to China, effectively enrich the supply of the Chinese market, and provide consumers with more diverse new choices. "The head of the World Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce stated that zero tariffs will promote the diversification of African export products, increase added value, optimize export structure, benefit a large number of small and medium-sized farmers and small and micro enterprises, create new job opportunities, and improve people's livelihoods. Zero tariffs will also promote cooperation between China and Africa in areas such as service trade, digital trade, green industries, and sustainable development, greatly enhancing Africa's capacity for independent development and helping Africa accelerate its modernization process.