China’s expanded zero-tariff policy for African goods is helping businesses in central Hunan Province cut costs and increase imports from Africa, opening a new trade route through the inland province.

The new policy allows goods from all 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China to enter the Chinese market duty-free. China is the first major economy to offer such broad unilateral tariff-free access to all its African diplomatic partners.

One of the first companies to benefit was Hunan Express Wisdom Information Technology Co., Ltd., which imported more than 6,000 bottles of South African wine through Changsha Huanghua International Airport on May 1.

The shipment saved the company 21,000 yuan (about $3,000) in import duties.

Chairman Zhang Xin said South African wine had previously faced a 14 percent tariff. With the duty now reduced to zero, the company expects to save around 5 million yuan annually.

Officials say the policy is lowering import costs and attracting more African products, including agricultural goods, raw materials and consumer items, to Hunan for processing and redistribution.

Hunan has become a key hub for China-Africa trade, supported by the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and a pilot zone for deeper economic cooperation.

Trade between Hunan and Africa has been growing by an average of 15 percent annually, reaching 58 billion yuan and ranking the province first among central and western Chinese provinces in trade with Africa.

In 2025, Hunan’s imports from Africa rose 27.2 percent year-on-year to 30.92 billion yuan.

In the first four months of 2026, total trade between Hunan and Africa reached 18.16 billion yuan, up 8.8 percent from a year earlier, while imports jumped 29.4 percent to 10.41 billion yuan.

Major suppliers include Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Changsha Customs said the removal of tariffs on industrial components and raw materials will help local manufacturers reduce costs and diversify supply chains.

The lower tariffs are also expected to benefit products such as flowers, fruit, coffee, cocoa and shea butter.

During the recent May Day holiday, an African goods market in Changsha attracted nearly 89,000 visitors over six days, offering products from more than a dozen African countries at lower prices.

Hunan Yufei Industry Investment Co., Ltd. said its “Quality African Products” brand now includes more than 400 items from 13 African countries.

Local coffee chain Coffee Z also plans to expand direct imports from Ethiopia and Kenya.

Founder Jing Jianhua said the company aims to bring more affordable, high-quality African coffee to consumers across China by taking advantage of the zero-tariff policy.