China scraps tariffs for all but one African nation

china is dropping tariffs for all but one african nation starting friday. the only country excluded is eswatini, which still has diplomatic ties with taiwan. the policy now covers 53 countries and runs until april 30, 2028. the move expands a duty-free policy that already covered 33 least-developed african nations since december 2024. beijing says it's the first major economy to offer unilateral zero-tariff treatment to africa. but analysts point out tariffs aren't the main barrier for african exporters — africa's trade deficit with china hit $102bn last year, up 65%. african exports are mostly raw materials like oil and metal ores. ken gichinga, an economist, says the policy will boost kenyan sectors like avocados, macadamia nuts, coffee and tea. but other analysts warn the gains will be uneven. more developed economies like south africa and morocco are better positioned to expand exports. jervin naidoo at oxford economics africa says tariff reductions alone don't fix structural problems like weak logistics and reliance on raw commodity exports. wangari kebuchi, a fiscal policy economist, says zero tariffs on unprocessed commodities can entrench the problem rather than solve it.