The latest from Noble Edge Ventures, plus customs, shipping, and trade news relevant to our routes.
Industry stories are summarised from public sources. Follow the source link on each post for the full story.
From 1 May 2026, China applies zero tariffs to imports from all 53 African countries it has diplomatic ties with. The 20 newly covered non-LDC countries, including Zimbabwe, receive the preferential rate for an initial two-year period to 30 April 2028.
Source: The Star (Xinhua) ↗
In a message to the African Union summit, President Xi Jinping announced that zero-tariff treatment would extend to all 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to China from 1 May 2026, expanding the earlier policy for 33 least developed countries.
Source: TimesLIVE (Reuters) ↗
Under Statutory Instrument 237 of 2025, Zimbabwe introduced and extended duty suspensions on imports including public service buses, mining chemicals, and vehicle assembly kits. Bus operators must be registered with ZIMRA and hold a valid tax clearance certificate to qualify.
Source: The Herald ↗
The US Development Finance Corporation agreed financing for the Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium to upgrade the line linking copper and cobalt regions in Zambia and the DRC to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito.
Source: Engineering News (Reuters) ↗
South Africa’s busiest container terminal moved into a public-private partnership from 1 January 2026. The plan targets capacity growth from 2 million to 2.8 million TEUs and faster crane productivity at a terminal that handles almost half of the country’s container volumes.
Source: SAnews ↗
Chinese customs data showed about $122 billion in goods shipped to Africa in the first eight months of 2025, with projections of a record full year. Machinery, heavy equipment, vehicles, and metal products led Africa’s imports from China.
Source: Africanews ↗
Zimbabwe’s 2026 National Budget proposed raising VAT from 15% to 15.5% from 1 January 2026, removing customs duty on selected raw materials such as steel coils and plates, and raising duty on certain imported fabrics to protect local producers.
Source: RegFollower ↗
UN Trade and Development’s annual shipping report expected seaborne trade growth to nearly stall in 2025 after a strong 2024, with longer routes, Red Sea diversions around the Cape of Good Hope, and volatile freight rates adding cost and uncertainty.
Source: UNCTAD ↗
The fifth Container Port Performance Index, based on vessel time in port, placed Durban at the bottom of the 2024 rankings, while Cape Town was among the most improved ports. Dakar ranked first in sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Freight News ↗
Nigeria’s finance minister ordered the suspension of the 4% Free-on-Board charge introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service in August, after importers reported it was being collected on top of existing fees and raising clearing costs.
Source: Nairametrics ↗
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority began round-the-clock operations at Tema and Takoradi, with terminals including transit, reefer, and Golden Jubilee now handling deliveries 24 hours a day.
Source: Ghana News Agency ↗
Figures shared ahead of the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha showed 2024 trade up 4.8% year on year, a record for the fourth year running, with China remaining Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years.
Source: China Daily ↗
The United States agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, and China cut its tariffs on US goods from 125% to 10%, for an initial 90-day period starting 14 May 2025.
Source: Ghana News Agency (dpa) ↗
The two governments signed a bilateral agreement to support financing, construction, and operation of a proposed 830 km railway connecting Zambia to the Lobito Corridor, with the Africa Finance Corporation committing an initial US$500 million.
Source: The Southern African Times ↗
We now ship from China to all parts of Southern Africa and to West Africa, with customs documents prepared before every shipment arrives.
The Nigeria Customs Service suspended implementation of a 4% charge on the Free-on-Board value of imports, a week after announcing it, to allow wider consultation with importers and other stakeholders.
Source: The ICIR ↗
China began applying zero-tariff treatment on 100% of tariff lines to imports from the 33 least developed African countries it has diplomatic ties with, the first step of the policy announced at FOCAC in September.
Source: Capital FM ↗
We are preparing to extend our China shipping routes to the United States and Europe, and will announce here when bookings open.
At the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, President Xi Jinping pledged 360 billion yuan in financial support over three years and announced zero-tariff treatment for least developed countries, including 33 in Africa.
Source: Caixin Global ↗
From 10 August 2024, all fuel imported in transit by road through Zimbabwe’s ports of entry, including petrol, diesel, paraffin, and Jet A1, must pay duty and levies on entry.
Source: Pindula ↗
The Container Port Performance Index for 2023 placed several South African ports near the bottom of the global rankings, but found that African ports overall reduced vessel waiting times faster than any other region.
Source: Future Media News ↗
Following the introduction of the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency on 5 April 2024, ZIMRA said its payment channels remained open but warned of temporary delays as banks adjusted, and set out how returns for earlier transactions would be handled.
Source: The Herald ↗
As ships rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, logistics experts said ageing, congested ports limited Africa’s gains, while Port Louis, Walvis Bay, and Toamasina picked up traffic. Longer routes also pushed up freight costs and transit times.
Source: gCaptain (Bloomberg) ↗
After attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, major container lines began sending ships around the Cape of Good Hope instead of through the Suez Canal, lengthening Asia–Europe voyages and reducing effective shipping capacity.
Source: CNBC ↗No posts in this category yet. Check back soon.