Driven by China's favorable policies, such as the implementation of zero-tariff treatment on 33 African countries and the establishment of a "green channel" to facilitate the entry of African agricultural and food products into the Chinese market, some high-quality African agricultural and food products are entering Hunan Province at an accelerated pace.
The Changsha Customs Authority said on July 22 that Hunan's total import and export volume with Africa rose 7.6% year on year to 28.99 billion CNY (approximately four billion USD) in the first half of this year. This places Hunan at the forefront of China's central and western regions concerning trade volume with Africa. In particular, agricultural product imports from Africa amounted to 160 million CNY, while aquatic product imports surged 127%. Additionally, imports of sesame, coffee, and dried chili increased 62.2%, 197.8%, and 499.4%, respectively.
In January 2024, the Overall Construction Plan for the Pioneering Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation was approved by the State Council. Over the past year, Hunan has actively explored new models and pathways for cooperation with Africa, further expanding the scale of bilateral trade. As of June 2025, the province's cumulative trade value with Africa reached 83.79 billion CNY, with its trade partners covering almost all African countries and regions.
In 2024, dried sea cucumber from Kenya, mutton from Madagascar, and wild Nile perch fish maw (swim bladder) from Uganda were exported to Hunan, marking the first entry of such products to China. Hunan also completed the first entrepot trade of African fresh flowers in China.
Wang Xinyu, deputy director of the Changsha Customs Office, introduced that the authority has launched the country's first pre-assessment systems for African foodstuffs exported to China this year. The initiative further streamlines the "green channel" for African agricultural and food exports to China, significantly boosting imports of related products.
The new initiative leverages national platforms including the Pioneering Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation and involves conducting risk assessments for African food products unapproved for the Chinese market yet targeted for import by enterprises within the China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Based on the results, proposals will be put forward to the General Administration of Customs for simplifying the access assessment procedures, greatly enhancing the efficiency of assessing the entry of African food products into China.
Effective since December 1, 2024, China has granted zero-tariff treatment to all least developed countries (LDCs) with which it has diplomatic relations, including 33 African nations, on 100% of their products. According to statistics from the Changsha Customs Authority, Hunan's trade with Africa's LDCs amounted to 10.68 billion CNY in the first half of this year, accounting for nearly 40% of the province's total trade with Africa. Combined trade value with Africa's LDCs and imports from these countries grew 28.1% and 33.5%, respectively.
This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.
Translator: Kuang Zhenzhen
Chinese source: Chinanews
