Ecofin Agency published on 27 April 2026 an article titled "China-Africa Trade in 2026: Cooperation, but Not on Equal Terms" by Idriss Linge.
As exports to the United States fall sharply, China is turning increasingly to Africa to export its consumer and industrial products. During the first quarter of 2026, China-Africa trade reached $92 billion, up 27 percent year on year. But while Chinese exports to Africa rose 32 percent, African exports to China increased by only 18 percent. Africa's trade deficit with China for the quarter reached $29 billion, nearly $10 billion higher than a year earlier.
The zero-tariff policy announced for Africa by Xi Jinping beginning 1 May 2026 is largely cosmetic and will make little difference in the trade relationship because 95 percent of African exports to China already enter the country duty free.
