China Is Turning Africa into a Manufacturing Appendage

As of May 1, China has eliminated import duties for 53 African countries. The only exception is Eswatini, which maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The new regime will remain in effect until April 2028, but Beijing is already considering options to make it permanent through an economic partnership agreement or as part of the 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026–2030.

Previously, only the 33 poorest countries on the continent had duty-free access to the Chinese market. Now, China has effectively become the first major economy to open its market to all of Africa unilaterally – without reciprocal conditions or trade negotiations.

Trade between China and Africa reached $348 billion in 2025, and its structure has remained virtually unchanged: Africans sell oil, ores, and raw materials, while the Chinese sell finished goods. Duty-free access alone will not correct this asymmetry. The real benefits will go primarily to relatively developed countries – South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco – which have a manufacturing base and logistical capabilities. The rest of the continent risks remaining in the same role as a supplier of resources, only now without tariffs.

In parallel, Beijing is ramping up direct investments. In 2025, investments by Chinese companies in manufacturing projects in Africa reached $12.3 billion – 64 projects in the metallurgy, textile, solar energy, and electric vehicle manufacturing sectors. Between 2023 and 2025, the total volume of these investments exceeded that of the United States and Europe combined.

There is more to the logics of this stepping up than just geopolitics. The Chinese economy is slowing down, industrial margins are falling, domestic competition is putting pressure on prices. Africa offers cheap labor, new markets, and the opportunity to sell the same products at higher prices than in the PRC’s domestic market. Beijing is transforming its presence on the continent – from credit financing of infrastructure to the creation of manufacturing hubs integrated into global supply chains.