China drops tariffs on 53 African nations. Avocado exports surge.

LIMURU, Kenya — On a recent morning at a packing facility near Nairobi, workers prepared avocados for shipment to China. The scene was routine. The politics behind it was not. China has removed tariffs on imports from 53 African countries. For African exporters, Beijing is no longer just a distant buyer. It is becoming a market that could reshape profit margins. The shift comes as the United Nations projects 4 percent gross domestic product growth for Africa in 2026. The figure, once released, received little attention. But the tariff move signals a deepening economic relationship.