China Has Removed the Tariff Barrier. Can Africa Build the Economic Corridors to Benefit?

Zero-tariff, now what? China has opened the market. Africa must now build the corridor. China’s implementation of zero-tariff treatment for imports from 53 African countries is more than a trade-policy development. It represents a significant opening in Africa–China economic relations and a test of whether African institutions, enterprises and economic systems are prepared to convert market access into lasting value.

The policy developed in stages.

At the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation Summit in Beijing on 6 September 2024, China announced that it would grant zero-tariff treatment across 100% of tariff lines to all least-developed countries with which it maintained diplomatic relations. This included 33 African countries. The concession took effect on 1 December 2024.

On 11 June 2025, China announced that it would extend zero-tariff treatment across 100% of tariff lines to all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations.

The expanded policy was fully implemented on 1 May 2026. For the 20 African countries not classified as least-developed countries, the preferential arrangement currently applies from 1 May 2026 until 30 April 2028. Together with the existing concession for 33 African least-developed countries, this brought all 53 qualifying African countries under zero-tariff coverage.

This is a real and operational trade concession.

But zero tariff should not be confused with frictionless trade.

African exporters must still comply with applicable rules of origin, customs procedures, product registration requirements, technical standards, health and safety controls, inspection and quarantine requirements, labelling rules and other market-access conditions.

Zero customs duty removes an important barrier.

It does not remove every barrier.

The policy should therefore be understood as an opening, not an outcome.

And that is where the governance question begins.

Market Access Is Not the Same as Market Readiness

China’s concession could improve the price competitiveness of qualifying African exports and create opportunities across:

• Agriculture and processed food.
• Coffee, tea, cocoa and horticultural products.
• Wine and beverages.
• Textiles and apparel.
• Manufactured and semi-manufactured goods.
• Locally processed minerals.
• Cultural and creative products.
• Selected consumer goods.
• Emerging African brands.

It could also strengthen the commercial case for investment in African processing, packaging and manufacturing capacity.

Where tariff-free access makes African production more competitive, investors may have greater reason to establish or expand operations closer to the source of raw materials.

But reduced tariffs cannot compensate for weak production systems.

African enterprises must still be able to:

• Produce at the required scale.
• Maintain consistent quality.
• Meet Chinese technical and consumer standards.
• Package and label products appropriately.
• Manage logistics reliably.
• Protect supply continuity.
• Obtain export finance.
• Identify credible buyers.
• Maintain commercial relationships.

A product can qualify for zero-tariff treatment and still fail to enter the Chinese market.

It can enter the market and still fail to attract buyers.

It can attract buyers and still fail because the supplier cannot deliver consistently.

China has expanded access.

Africa must build readiness.

From Formal Access to Sustainable Market Presence

The strategic objective should not simply be to increase the volume of African goods entering China.

It should be to build a stronger and more sustainable African presence in Chinese markets.

That requires a shift from:

• Raw commodity exports to value-added products.
• Occasional transactions to durable commercial relationships.
• Trade missions to completed contracts.
• Policy announcements to functioning export pipelines.
• Formal market access to sustained market participation.

Exporters need more than tariff relief.

They need:

• Market intelligence.
• Buyer identification.
• Product adaptation.
• Translation and localisation.
• Certification support.
• Export finance.
• Reliable logistics.
• Customs guidance.
• Digital-commerce capability.
• Cultural and commercial understanding.
• Trusted relationships in China.

Without this supporting architecture, the principal beneficiaries may be established exporters that already possess the necessary resources and market knowledge.

SMEs, community enterprises and emerging producers may remain excluded, even though these are often the businesses that economic-development strategies are intended to support.

That would not be a failure of tariff policy.

It would be a failure of institutional design and execution.

Tourism as Economic Infrastructure

The zero-tariff concession also has implications far beyond the movement of goods.

Trade relationships move people.

As African companies seek buyers and distributors in China, and Chinese companies investigate sourcing, production and investment opportunities across Africa, demand may grow for:

• Business travel.
• Trade missions.
• Exhibitions.
• Buyer visits.
• Supplier inspections.
• Technical exchanges.
• Investment delegations.
• Academic and research cooperation.
• Cross-cultural engagement.

This is where tourism must be understood as economic infrastructure.

Tourism is frequently treated as a leisure sector centred on destination promotion, visitor arrivals and hotel occupancy.

But within a growing trade corridor, tourism performs a much broader economic function.

It facilitates the movement and productive engagement of:

• Exporters.
• Buyers.
• Investors.
• Entrepreneurs.
• Technical specialists.
• Government representatives.
• Researchers.
• Exhibition participants.
• Diaspora business networks.

These travellers are not merely visitors.

They are economic actors.

Their ability to move efficiently, establish relationships and complete transactions depends partly on the quality of the tourism and destination systems supporting them.

Air Connectivity Is Trade Infrastructure

Export growth cannot be separated from air connectivity.

African exporters need to visit Chinese markets, meet potential distributors, attend exhibitions and understand consumer expectations.

Chinese buyers and investors need efficient access to African suppliers, agricultural regions, production facilities, industrial zones and emerging markets.

Direct and well-connected air routes reduce the time, cost and complexity of these interactions.

Air connectivity can also support the movement of:

• Product samples.
• Time-sensitive exports.
• High-value goods.
• Fresh produce.
• Technical equipment.
• Specialist personnel.

Tourism, trade, aviation and investment strategies should therefore not be developed in isolation.

Route-development decisions should consider:

• Business-travel demand.
• Priority export sectors.
• Investment projects.
• Trade exhibitions.
• Academic mobility.
• Government exchanges.
• Diaspora connections.
• Tourism demand.

An air route that supports commercial mobility may create economic value far beyond the number of passenger seats sold.

Business Travel Is a Market-Access Instrument

Many African SMEs will not build sustainable relationships with Chinese buyers through digital communication alone.

Trust remains central to cross-border business.

Exporters may need to participate in exhibitions, product demonstrations, factory visits and face-to-face negotiations. They need to understand how relationships are developed, how decisions are made and how commercial credibility is established within Chinese business environments.

Chinese buyers and investors similarly require organised access to African businesses, production centres, communities and destination stakeholders.

This creates opportunities for specialised business-tourism services, including:

• Trade-mission planning.
• Buyer and supplier itineraries.
• Exhibition support.
• Interpretation and translation.
• Cross-cultural briefings.
• Market-orientation programmes.
• Site inspections.
• Investor facilitation.
• Business-matching events.
• Post-visit commercial follow-up.

Tourism operators with an understanding of trade and investment can become economic facilitators rather than simply travel intermediaries.

Exhibitions and Events Are Commercial Platforms

Trade fairs, conferences and exhibitions provide the physical environments in which markets are explored, products are demonstrated and relationships are established.

They generate direct tourism activity through:

• Flights.
• Accommodation.
• Local transportation.
• Venues.
• Catering.
• Interpretation.
• Destination experiences.
• Professional services.

Their greater value, however, lies in the commercial connections they can produce.

African destinations should consider how their meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sectors can support the new trade environment.

This could include:

• China–Africa buyer forums.
• Sector-specific sourcing missions.
• Investment roadshows.
• Product exhibitions.
• Export-readiness events.
• Supplier-development programmes.
• Business-to-business meetings.
• Destination visits linked to trade events.
• Follow-up forums after major FOCAC engagements.

The value of business events should not be measured only through delegate numbers or hotel occupancy.

They should also be assessed by:

• Contracts generated.
• Partnerships formed.
• Buyers introduced.
• Enterprises supported.
• Investments advanced.
• Commercial follow-up completed.

This is the difference between viewing events as tourism activity and treating them as economic infrastructure.

Tourism Can Showcase Export-Ready African Products

The connection between zero tariffs and tourism is not limited to business travel.

Tourism can also support product discovery.

Hotels, restaurants, airports, attractions, cultural centres, exhibitions and visitor experiences can become platforms for showcasing:

• African food and beverages.
• Fashion and textiles.
• Art and design.
• Cosmetics and wellness products.
• Cultural goods.
• Agricultural products.
• Handcrafted and manufactured items.

A tourism experience may become a Chinese visitor’s or business traveller’s first encounter with an African product.

That visitor may later become a buyer, distributor, investor or brand advocate.

Destinations should therefore connect tourism-product development with export-development strategy.

Tourism SMEs should not be viewed only as service providers.

Some may have the potential to become exporters, commercial partners or entry points into wider local supply chains.

Realising that potential will require cooperation between tourism authorities, export agencies, chambers of commerce, standards bodies, logistics providers and investment institutions.

Intercultural Capability Is an Economic Asset

Zero tariffs may reduce the financial cost of entering the Chinese market.

They do not reduce the cultural complexity of doing business there.

African exporters need people who understand:

• Chinese commercial culture.
• Relationship development.
• Business etiquette.
• Consumer expectations.
• Mandarin terminology.
• Digital platforms.
• Negotiation practices.
• Product presentation.
• Post-sale communication.

African destinations receiving Chinese investors, buyers and business travellers require similar capabilities.

Hotels, tour operators, tourism authorities, investment agencies and local businesses need to be prepared to communicate effectively and provide culturally informed support.

This creates an expanded role for tourism education.

Training institutions should prepare graduates not only for conventional hospitality and travel roles, but also for work in:

• Trade missions.
• International exhibitions.
• Buyer and supplier support.
• Destination investment facilitation.
• Business-event management.
• Market research.
• Translation and localisation.
• Digital tourism and trade platforms.
• Cross-cultural stakeholder engagement.

Tourism skills can become trade-enabling skills.

Destination Readiness Influences Investor Confidence

The experience of a destination can shape a business traveller’s or investor’s perception of the wider economy.

Difficult entry procedures, unreliable transport, weak connectivity, limited information and uncoordinated institutional support may signal broader execution risk.

By contrast, a destination that receives business visitors efficiently, provides credible information and connects them with trusted institutions demonstrates organisational capacity.

A well-designed business visit can:

• Build confidence.
• Improve understanding of local markets.
• Introduce credible partners.
• Showcase production capabilities.
• Clarify regulatory conditions.
• Advance investment discussions.
• Strengthen long-term relationships.

Tourism does not replace sound economic fundamentals.

It helps create the environment in which those fundamentals are observed, evaluated and trusted.

Tourism is therefore part of a country’s investment interface.

Fragmentation Is the Central Risk

Across many African markets, the institutions responsible for trade, tourism, investment, aviation, logistics, education and SME development continue to operate within separate mandates.

Trade agencies negotiate or promote market access.

Tourism authorities market destinations.

Investment agencies pursue projects.

Airlines and airports make connectivity decisions.

Universities develop programmes.

SME agencies deliver business support.

Each institution may be performing valuable work.

But when their efforts are disconnected, opportunity becomes friction.

A buyer may express interest, but the exporter lacks certification.

An SME may attend a Chinese exhibition, but it lacks translation or follow-up capacity.

An investor may visit, but institutions provide conflicting information.

A new air route may be launched without being connected to priority trade sectors.

A trade agreement may receive extensive publicity while local producers remain unaware of the standards they must meet.

This is not primarily a resource problem.

It is a coordination problem.

The Governance Questions Africa Must Ask

Boards, policymakers and advisory structures should now be asking:

• Which national products have the strongest potential under the concession?
• Which exporters already meet Chinese market requirements?
• Which businesses can produce at the required scale and consistency?
• How will SMEs be supported with standards, certification and rules of origin?
• Are trade, tourism and investment institutions working from a shared strategy?
• Are aviation routes aligned with priority commercial corridors?
• Are trade missions connected to measurable business outcomes?
• Are tourism operators equipped to facilitate business and investment travel?
• Are universities developing the language, digital and intercultural skills required?
• Are local enterprises positioned to participate in both visitor and export economies?
• How will impact be measured beyond the number of registrations, missions or announcements?
• What evidence will be required to inform future arrangements after the current concession period for the 20 non-least-developed African countries ends on 30 April 2028?

These are not merely administrative questions.

They are governance questions.

They require leadership that understands systems rather than individual sectors.

What Zero Tariff Can, and Cannot, Achieve

China’s concession can:

• Reduce customs-duty costs.
• Improve the competitiveness of qualifying African exports.
• Encourage businesses to explore the Chinese market.
• Support export diversification.
• Strengthen the case for African value addition.
• Encourage investment linked to production and exports.
• Expand the commercial rationale for Africa–China travel and connectivity.

It cannot, on its own:

• Guarantee product approval.
• Guarantee buyers.
• Guarantee revenue.
• Resolve logistics constraints.
• Ensure compliance with Chinese standards.
• Create production capacity.
• Provide export finance.
• Build African brands.
• Develop trusted commercial relationships.
• Coordinate fragmented institutions.

The difference between formal access and meaningful participation lies in the systems built around the concession.

The Boardroom Imperative

Boards and advisory structures should view the zero-tariff policy as a strategic development, not merely a customs adjustment.

Their role should include:

• Interpreting the implications for organisational strategy.
• Identifying export, investment and partnership opportunities.
• Testing operational and supply-chain readiness.
• Evaluating compliance and market-entry risks.
• Encouraging cross-sector collaboration.
• Strengthening market intelligence.
• Supporting intercultural capability.
• Ensuring that SMEs are not excluded.
• Connecting tourism, travel and trade strategies.
• Holding management accountable for measurable execution.

Boards that see only tariff relief may underestimate both the opportunity and the risk.

Boards that understand the wider system can help convert policy into commercial capability.

Closing Perspective

China has removed an important barrier to African exports.

That is significant.

But the zero-tariff concession is not the finish line.

It is the starting point.

The real advantage will belong to countries and organisations that connect production, standards, logistics, finance, market intelligence, trade promotion, tourism and human capability into one functioning system.

Tourism has a central role in that system.

It moves the people who build commercial relationships.

It hosts the events where markets are opened.

It enables investors to experience destinations.

It introduces visitors to African products.

It supports the cultural understanding on which cross-border partnerships depend.

It provides the physical and relational infrastructure through which opportunity becomes economic activity.

China has opened the market.

The question now is whether African leadership can build the corridors through which its businesses, communities and economies can enter—and remain.

About the Author

Richard is a tourism strategist, market-access advisor and governance-minded business leader with more than 30 years of experience across tourism, trade, investment, social impact and stakeholder engagement.

He helps companies, destinations, industry bodies and funded organisations build strategic partnerships, expand into new markets and create sustainable commercial and social value.

Drawing on extensive experience across Africa, China and Europe, Richard brings a distinctive ability to connect markets, sectors and cultures while balancing growth, governance and long-term impact.

He selectively accepts paid board appointments, advisory mandates, keynote engagements and strategic collaborations.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richjjuls1