Thierry Pairault posted on 13 June 2026 an analysis titled "The African Cocoa Industry and the Chinese Tariff Exemption."
He concludes that an African entrepreneur manufacturing chocolate for export to Europe would face a 30 percent customs duty, whereas the Chinese market is now tariff free. For exporters capable of meeting Chinese customs standards, there is a real comparative advantage. However, the tariff exemption does not create the productive and logistical capacities necessary to exploit this advantage. The risk is therefore a consolidation of primary commodity specialization rather than its attenuation.
The true obstacle is structural, not tariff related. The fundamental difference between African and Asian supply chains is not access to raw materials, but where value is created through processing.
