Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu in Beijing China
THE Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Zhemu Soda, has urged Zimbabwe to take full advantage of China’s Zero Tariff Policy and increase trade with China.
He said this during his address at the Zimbabwe Embassy in Beijing, China on Wednesday at an interactive engagement with academia and students pursuing various studies in universities in China.
Dr Soda is in China leading a 30 member delegation of Media Practitioners from Zimbabwe as part of a Seminar for Media Professionals from Zimbabwe organised by the Academy for International Business Officials (AIBO).
The organisation is directly under the Ministry of Commerce in the People’s Republic of China.
“On 1 May, China began implementing its zero-tariff policy for all 53 African countries and for those of you who are into agriculture and other sectors should take advantage of it increase trade with China.
“It’s a good opportunity for expanded trade,” said the minister.
In February 2026, China announced the extension of zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations.
The policy took effect on May 1, 2026 for all African countries.
Under the scheme, all tariff lines on qualifying imports from Africa are exempt from customs duties, provided they meet China’s rules of origin and are accompanied by a valid Certificate of Origin.
The move builds on earlier measures that had already made about 70 percent of African exports duty-free, and is aimed at expanding high-level opening-up and deepening economic cooperation between China and Africa.
Earlier on in the day, during a lecture on Governance by Chinese Leaders and Its Implications for Zimbabwe during the Seminar for Media Professionals for Zimbabwe in Beijing, Professor Yongpeng Zhang urged Zimbabwe to take full advantage of China’s zero tariff policy by accelerating value addition and beneficiation of lithium and other critical minerals in partnership with Chinese companies.
The seminar is organised by the Academy for International Business Officials, which is directly under the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
He said Zimbabwe stands to benefit significantly if it moves beyond exporting raw lithium ore and instead manufactures processed battery products for export to the Chinese market under Beijing’s preferential zero tariff framework.
Professor Zhang said Zimbabwe could partner with Chinese companies to establish processing industries that manufacture higher-value lithium battery products locally.
“If Zimbabwe produces second-stage and third-stage lithium battery products through cooperation with Chinese companies, those products can be exported to China under the zero tariff preference,” he said.
He described the arrangement as a major economic opportunity for Zimbabwe, particularly as global demand for lithium continues to rise due to the rapid growth of electric vehicle production and renewable energy technologies.
Prof Zhang said the zero tariff policy introduced by China for African countries, including Zimbabwe, creates a favourable environment for industrial development and export growth.
He added that cooperation under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was designed to support Africa’s industrialisation agenda through investment, technology transfer and expanded trade opportunities.
“Under the framework of FOCAC and its three-year follow-up actions, China has introduced many measures aimed at promoting the industrialisation process in African countries,” he said.
According to Prof Zhang, one of the most important opportunities for Zimbabwe lies in using Chinese investment and technology to build local processing plants capable of producing lithium batteries and related products.
He said such projects would not only create employment opportunities but also strengthen Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector and increase export earnings through duty-free access to the Chinese market.
