Thierry Pairault posted on 28 March 2026 a working paper titled "Tarif zero: un petit geste qui ne coute presque rien."
This is the first of two analyses Thierry Pairault has posted on the impact of Beijing's decision to allow imports from 53 African countries to enter China duty free beginning 1 May. He explains this is an inexpensive gesture that will not have much practical impact. The second working paper was reposted on 30 March below.
China's trade surplus with Africa continues to grow. China exports value-added goods to Africa while Africa exports mostly raw materials and some agricultural products to China. A small number of African countries account for most of the continent's exports to China.
China's zero tariff treatment of African imports may benefit some agricultural products such as coffee and tobacco, but it will not change significantly existing China-Africa trade patterns.
