U.S. bombs, China builds

China will eliminate tariffs on African countries

As global attention focused on the U.S. and Israeli conspiracy to bring about regime change in Iran (alongside the Pentagon’s bombing that risked a regional war crisis), China and African countries were actively building alliances.

Just days before the attacks on Iran began, China announced that it would eliminate tariffs on imports from 53 African countries (except Eswatini, which does not currently maintain relations with Beijing), a move set to significantly strengthen China-Africa trade relations and create new opportunities for African exporters.

The announcement was made during the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held from June 10 to 12, 2025, in Changsha, Hunan Province. 

The forum brought together representatives from China, 53 African nations, and the African Union Commission to assess progress on commitments made at the 2024 Beijing Summit and to plan future cooperation.

Previously, zero-tariff treatment was available to only 33 African countries. This new announcement expands on the zero-tariff treatment for least developed countries (LDCs) that began on Dec. 1, 2024, which has already boosted exports from several African nations to China. This move opens up China’s extensive market to African products.

China’s broader strategy

China’s declaration of near-zero tariffs is part of a broader strategy that includes support for green industries, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure development. This also includes advancing modernization and supporting the African Union’s Agenda 2063. 

The removal of tariffs on African goods will help to diversify Africa’s export markets and reduce dependency on Western capitalist partners. It also signals a growing realignment in international trade partnerships, with Africa increasingly central to Beijing’s global partnerships and solidarity.

China has been Africa’s top trading partner for the last 15 years. In 2024, trade hit a record $295.6 billion. Q1 2025 saw bilateral trade at $72.6 billion, a 2.7% increase year-over-year. Africa’s 2023 exports to China were valued at approximately $170 billion (£125 billion), highlighting its growing role in China’s global trade.

Contrasts with the United States

Instead of lifting tariffs, the Trump administration has tightened the noose and imposed new tariffs, particularly on some of the poorest countries. Countries facing some of the highest tariffs include Lesotho (50%), Madagascar (47%), Mauritius (40%), Botswana (37%), Angola (32%), Libya (31%), and Algeria and South Africa (both 30%). These moves shred the “African Growth and Opportunity Act” (AGOA).

These actions threaten to disrupt supply chains and hinder economic growth. The impact is joblessness, hunger and general poverty for people living in these countries. And if the people in these regions rebel against economic strangulation, U.S. imperialism’s answer is the stick: Africa Command (AFRICOM), a network of military bases on the continent of Africa.