China scraps tariffs for all but one African nation – here’s why

• China has scrapped tariffs on imports from 53 African countries, extending duty-free access to all but one nation on the continent.
• The policy, which came into effect on Friday, applies to countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Beijing.
• Eswatini is the only African country excluded from the scheme due to its diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its sovereign territory.
• The Chinese commerce ministry stated the policy aims to make African products more competitive and encourage investment in processing industries within Africa.
• While welcomed by the African Union, some analysts suggest that deeper structural issues in African economies, such as limited industrial capacity, may not be fully addressed by tariff reductions alone.

IN FULL

China drops import tariffs for all African countries except one