Customs authorities across China were busy handling arrivals of African goods on May 1, as the country's historic expansion of its zero-tariff treatment took effect. All 53 African nations that have diplomatic ties with China now benefit from tariff-free access to the vast Chinese market.

In the early hours of Friday, 24 tonnes of South African apples became the first batch of imports to enter China under the landmark initiative, which wiped the previous 10% duty.

The shipment, cleared swiftly by Shenzhen customs officers in south China, is bound for supermarkets and wholesale markets across the country. 

"This is a real benefit," said Luo Shengcong, general manager of Shenzhen Kin Shing Yip International Agent Co., Ltd., adding that this batch of goods will yield tariff savings of about 20,000 yuan (roughly $2,929).

China already scrapped tariffs on 100% of tariff lines for 33 least developed countries in Africa on December 1, 2024. The new zero-tariff policy will cover relatively better-off countries such as Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria.

China's commerce ministry said in a statement that the move lends a competitive edge to African products like cocoa from Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, coffee and avocados from Kenya, and citrus fruits and wine from South Africa, which used to face levies between 8% and 30%.

In Shanghai, a shipment of oranges from Egypt became the first to reach the metropolis in eastern China under the new measures.

The 516-tonne batch, green-lighted by customs in Shanghai in the early hours of Friday, benefited from a tariff exemption amounting to 320,000 yuan.

Another 24 tonnes of avocados from Kenya entered China via Shanghai, enjoying a tariff relief worth 26,000 yuan.

Elsewhere in central China's Hunan Province, a consignment of over 6,000 bottles of wine from South Africa was cleared through customs at the Changsha Huanghua International Airport, shaving 21,000 yuan on tax.

Shelf prices set to drop

Zhang Xin, chairman of Hunan Express Wisdom Information Technology Co., Ltd., noted significant consumer interest in South African wine at the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo.

"The expansion of the zero-tariff policy will significantly reduce import costs for enterprises," he said, estimating that shelf prices could drop by around 15% to 20%.

"Enterprises are poised to seize this opportunity and bolster the import of distinctive African products, thereby introducing a greater variety of high-quality and cost-effective African goods into the Chinese market," Zhang added.

China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with bilateral trade hitting a record $348 billion in 2025.

The expanded zero-tariff policy has been widely praised as a significant step toward further opening up the world's second-largest economy, at a time when much of the global trading system is gravitating toward protectionism and narrower market access.

Guo Xueyan, an official with the General Administration of Customs, said that amid a wave of global trade protectionism, China's doubling down on zero-tariff policies for African nations epitomizes the genuine essence of multilateralism.

In the long run, experts believe the expansion of zero tariffs will make China-Africa trade more balanced and encourage companies to invest in Africa's manufacturing sector as export costs decrease.