Thierry Pairault published on 30 June 2026 an article titled "The African Sesame Industry and the Chinese Tariff Exemption."
China obtains from Africa more than 80 percent of its imported sesame seeds. Six countries account for 95 percent of African sesame exports to China: Niger, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Mozambique, and Ethiopia.
China's recent zero tariff policy for African countries will primarily benefit Chinese importers-processors rather than African producers. The tariff advantage is captured at the point of entry into China by companies whose shareholders are Chinese, Singaporean, and Taiwanese.
