Exporting to China at zero tariff from Africa

Two regimes, two calendars

Eswatini, which has no diplomatic relations with China, is the only African country left out.

Which regime applies to your country?

The full list of the 20 countries on the 2026 regime: Algeria, Egypt, Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, Congo, Ghana, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Nigeria, Seychelles and Tunisia. Check your country's exact status with your trade ministry or chamber of commerce: the UN's LDC list changes when a country graduates out of it.

Early results: what Kenya reports

Kenya's ambassador to China said on September 30, 2026 that Kenyan exports rose sharply after the tariffs were removed: avocado oil up 700% and aquatic products up 350% (no baseline period was given for these two), avocados up 63.22% (May to August, year on year) and unroasted coffee up 139.66%. These are the ambassador's figures, not an independent audit, and big percentage jumps can come from small starting volumes. Still, they show which products moved first.

At continent level, China-Africa trade reached US$312.1 billion in January to September 2026 (up 22.3%). China's imports from Africa were US$109.1 billion (up 18.5%), while its exports to Africa were US$203.0 billion (up 24.5%). Africa still runs a trade gap of about US$93.8 billion with China, so zero tariffs are a start, not a fix.

Rules of origin

• Originating product: wholly obtained in the country (harvested, extracted, raised), or processed with at least 40% regional value content calculated on the FOB value, or meeting the product-specific rule. Chinese inputs count as originating.
• Simple operations do not confer origin: washing, drying, salting, freezing, simple packing or labelling.
• Direct transport: transit through a third country is allowed if the goods stay under customs control, for up to 6 months.
• Certificate of origin: issued in English by your country's authorised body, valid for one year and transmitted electronically. Under the 2026 regime, shipments of US$1,000 or less are exempt.

Food and farm goods: the step that blocks most exporters

Zero duty does not open the market by itself. To export food to China:

1. The product must be approved for your country, either through a bilateral protocol or through the Africa-wide access now granted for certain products (see the table below).
2. The plant or warehouse must be registered with Chinese customs on the CIFER platform. Since June 1, 2026, GACC Decree 280 replaces Decree 248: 17 higher-risk categories need a recommendation from your home authority; the others can register themselves. Registration lasts 5 years.
3. Every lot travels with the health or plant-health certificate required for the product and carries Chinese labelling.

Products already approved

Cocoa conditions. The cocoa rule covers unroasted, fermented, dried beans. According to press reports of the announcement, plants must be vetted by your home authority and registered with GACC, farms must be traceable, cartons must be labelled with the origin and the enterprise, and containers must be sealed. The December 15, 2026 effective date comes from a secondary source (Sohu) quoting the announcement, so confirm it with GACC or your ministry before you plan shipments.

For sesame, ginger and shea, check your country's access in the Chinese customs lists or with your agriculture ministry before you sign a contract. For non-food products (crafts, textiles, processed wood, minerals) there is no CIFER registration: only origin and product standards matter.

What you still pay in China

The measure removes the customs duty. The Chinese importer still pays import VAT (13% at the standard rate, 9% for many farm goods, under the VAT Law in force since January 1, 2026) and, for some products such as alcohol or tobacco, consumption tax. Zero duty makes your price more competitive against a supplier from a non-African country, but it does not make importing free.

Keep in mind that most African exports to China (oil, minerals) already entered duty-free. The gain is concentrated on goods that still paid duty: oilseeds, coffee, processed cocoa, farm and manufactured goods.

Finding Chinese buyers

• China International Import Expo (CIIE), Shanghai, November 5 to 10, 2026, with a stronger space for African countries.
• China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, Changsha (Hunan), held every two years: the last one was in June 2025 and the next is expected in 2027.
• The Hunan China-Africa pilot zone supports African products (advance assessment of food by Changsha customs, online and live-stream sales on Chinese platforms).
• A Chinese importer must be the official consignee: it declares the import and holds the CIFER registration number.

Step by step

1. Check your country's regime and, for food, that your product is approved.
2. Register as an exporter in your country.
3. For food, register the plant on CIFER (with your authority's recommendation if the category requires it).
4. Find a Chinese importer and agree the Incoterm and payment. See Incoterms explained.
5. For each lot: health or plant-health certificate, certificate of origin (transmitted electronically), Chinese labelling, invoice and packing list.
6. Ship directly, or in transit under customs control for up to 6 months.

Importing from China as well? See buying in Yiwu and Guangzhou from Africa, import from China to Nigeria and the Africa import duty calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Information checked on October 21, 2026 against the official texts and sources cited. Lists of approved products keep changing: confirm with Chinese customs and your ministry before shipping. General information, not legal or customs advice. SuanSupply is not affiliated with any agency.