According to GACC data, China’s imports from Africa reached RMB 193.8 billion in May–June 2026, up 23.5% year-on-year. Avocados jumped 130%, apples 89.6%, oranges 27.9%. On May 1, the first shipment — 24 tonnes of South African apples — cleared Shenzhen Bay Port with the previous 10% duty dropped to zero.

The policy covers 100% of tariff lines for all 53 African diplomatic partners. For 20 non-LDC African economies, it runs as a two-year preferential arrangement through April 30, 2028; for the other 33 LDC partners, it has been in place since December 2024. Beijing is also expanding the “green channel” for African agri-food, adding cashews, coffee beans and wild aquatic products to the earlier unified regional access for dried chili.

Here is the part importers often miss: zero tariff does not mean zero paperwork. Customs still require a valid certificate of origin and strict origin compliance. Classification and quarantine access rules for each product line remain unchanged. We have seen shipments delayed at the border not because of duty, but because origin documents or HS coding were not locked down before departure.

If you are sourcing African agri-food for the China market, the cost advantage is real — but only if the compliance layer is built in upstream.

Comment ‘guide’ if you’re importing African agri-food into China.

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