Zimbabwe is racing against time to finalize export agreements with Beijing before China’s landmark zero-tariff policy for African products takes effect next week. Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Development Anxious Masuka confirmed on April 21 that technical teams are urgently negotiating sanitary protocols for farm goods to unlock preferential access to the world’s second-largest economy.
Starting May 1, China will eliminate tariffs on select imports from 53 African countries including Zimbabwe – part of efforts to boost two-way trade under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation framework. This initiative builds on Zimbabwe’s existing citrus, avocado, and blueberry export agreements signed earlier this year.
Masuka revealed plans to expand product coverage to include livestock, with negotiations currently focused on meeting stringent food safety standards. “We aim to secure markets for our growing agricultural output,” he told reporters in Harare, emphasizing how duty-free access could transform rural development programs targeting smallholder farmers.
The policy comes as Zimbabwe-China agricultural trade surges, reaching $804 million in 2025. China currently absorbs 90% of Zimbabwe’s tobacco exports and positions itself as a strategic partner in Harare’s agricultural modernization drive.
