China expands “customs exemption” to Africa without time restrictions

A few days after US President Donald Trump signed a one-year extension of the African Growth Opportunities Act, which grants African countries access to US markets, with exemption from customs duties, China announced that it will expand the scope of duty-free treatment to include imports from 53 African countries without any time restrictions.

The message could not be clearer: while Beijing offers long-term certainty, Washington offers Africa another year of uncertainty.

China is now preparing to maintain and expand its existing trade presence in a young and rapidly growing continent that, according to demographics, will become an increasingly important part of the global economy. Of the 20 countries with the highest growth rates in the world, 12 of them are located in Africa, which is considered the second fastest growing region in the world after Asia. While the population of Asia will soon begin to decline, the population of Africa is expected to continue to increase, reaching 2.5 billion people by 2017. 2050, while total commercial and consumer spending in Africa will reach $6.7 trillion by 2030.

Africa’s role as a source of production and consumption, as well as energy and vital minerals, will certainly continue to grow, and countries in other parts of the world, including the United States, cannot afford to be marginalized from Africa in the global pursuit of trade, investment, and many other business opportunities.

So far, China has captured a huge share of these opportunities, and is now Africa’s first trading partner by a large margin. Chinese exports to Africa have risen by nearly 26% in 2025, reaching $225 billion.

Trade between China and Africa is strong and growing, with Chinese exports to Africa increasing significantly due to African demand for manufactured goods, such as machinery, electronics, cars and other vehicles.

On the other hand, Africa mainly exports basic materials such as crude oil, minerals, and agricultural products to China, which leads to a continuous trade deficit for the African continent. Therefore, the United States has an opportunity to make an offer to the Africans that is better than the Chinese offer, which is a more balanced offer, and will not only focus on importing mineral resources, but will also focus on the desire of African countries to achieve added value for Africans and their local economies through their trade.

Since its enactment in 2000, the African Growth Opportunities Act has been the main channel for increasing bilateral trade between the United States and Africa, as it provided African countries with exemption from customs duties for their shipments of goods to the United States for 1,800 products. According to what Brookings Institution researchers recently documented, American exports to Africa have quadrupled since the law entered into force, as this trade has supported 450,000 American jobs and generated benefits worth a billion dollars. Annually for American consumers.

But inexplicably, Congress allowed this law to expire in September 2025, even though the Trump administration was in favor of extending it. What is most surprising is that this error was not corrected until just a few weeks ago, through legislation issued by Congress and signed into law by US President Donald Trump. However, instead of extending it for another decade or more, as some lawmakers sought, this new law was only extended until the end of this year, and thus the celebration of the extension was largely muted, as it remained Parties involved in US-Africa trade relations are wondering what will happen next.

At the same time, the Chinese leave no room for question about their intentions towards African trade. A few days after Trump signed the temporary extension, China responded by announcing that it would expand the scope of tariff exemption on Chinese imports from Africa from 33 to 53 African countries without a time limit.

If the United States wants to compete effectively with China in Africa and support the aspirations of Africans towards value-added growth, rather than permanent dependence on basic commodities, it must offer the advantage of “stability,” which is what markets value more than anything else. Extending this law permanently or long-term would indicate that America intends to be a reliable economic partner, and not a partner only in good times. About “The Hill”

• If the United States wants to compete effectively with China in Africa, it must offer the advantage of “stability,” which markets value more than anything else.