At the end of May 2026, the first shipment of heat-processed cocoons destined for the Chinese market will be loaded and dispatched at the town of Mpika in northern Zambia. The ceremony will be attended by senior government officials, alongside Chinese investors from Wonderful Group and local farmers who have embraced sericulture as a new livelihood. For Zambia, the shipment represents more than just cargo, but the birth of an entirely new industry.
Zero Tariffs: China’s Commitment to Africa
The entry of Zambian heat-processed cocoons into the Chinese market is made possible by China’s zero-tariff policy for Africa. In February 2026, President Xi Jinping announced in his congratulatory message to the African Union Summit that China would extend zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, effective from May 1, 2026. With this step, China became the first major economy in the world to grant unilateral, comprehensive zero-tariff access to all African countries and all least developed countries with diplomatic ties. This is a major step in China’s firm commitment to expanding high-level opening-up, and an innovative measure to implement the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and forge an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.
At a time when unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, this policy carries particular weight. According to Chinese customs statistics, total trade between China and the 53 African countries reached a record 348.08 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, the figure hit 92.16 billion dollars, up 26.8 percent year on year and nearly 12 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate of China’s foreign trade.
Zambia has been among the early beneficiaries. Since December 1, 2024, Zambia has enjoyed zero-tariff treatment on 100% of its tariff lines to China. Driven by this policy, bilateral trade reached 7.6 billion dollars in 2025, up 14% year on year. Of this, Zambian exports to China totaled 5.7 billion dollars, growing by 19%. The momentum has only accelerated in 2026: bilateral trade in the first quarter surged 77% year on year to 2.58 billion dollars, with Zambian exports to China reaching 1.9 billion dollars, up by 76%.
The Economics of a Cocoon
The significance of heat-processed cocoon exports goes beyond trade figures. Sericulture is a technology-intensive agricultural activity with high economic value-added. Studies show that on the same piece of land, sericulture can generate income for farmers as much as ten times compared to traditional crops such as maize. Zambia previously had no sericulture industry. Thanks to its favorable geographic conditions, China’s zero-tariff policy, and the safe, stable and rule-based investment environment fostered under President Hichilema’s leadership, Chinese businesses have brought capital, technology, managerial expertise and market opportunities, to enable Zambia to build a sericulture industry from scratch.
The production and export of heat-processed cocoons in Zambia have created job opportunities for local farmers, contributed to the country’s economic diversification, and increased its foreign exchange earnings. This is a vivid example of China-Africa industrial chain cooperation under the guidance of the zero-tariff policy, and a strong testament to China’s commitment to promoting shared development in Africa through high-level opening-up. The sericulture sector has the potential to become a new hallmark of Zambian agriculture and a fresh driver of foreign trade.
A Belt and Road Reborn
The practices of sericulture have a long history in China. More than a millennium ago, during the Tang and Song dynasties, the prosperity of the maritime Silk Road facilitated large-scale export of Chinese silk to Africa, marking the beginning of cooperation and friendship between the Chinese and African people. Today, heat-processed cocoons produced in Zambia are traveling from Africa to China, bringing renewed vitality to the ancient route in the new era. Trade and cooperation between China and Africa transcend time and space, going far beyond simple exchange of goods. They serve as a bond of friendship, a dialogue between civilizations, and a shared aspiration for modernization.
The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. It also marks the 62nd anniversary of China-Zambia diplomatic ties and the 50th anniversary of the completion and handover of the TAZARA Railway, a flagship project that stands as an enduring symbol of China-Africa friendship. More than six decades ago, Chairman Mao Zedong and President Kenneth Kaunda, along with other visionary leaders of the older generation, forged the all-weather friendship between China and Zambia. Today, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Hichilema, the bilateral relationship has been elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership, and the TAZARA Railway will be revitalized to inject new momentum into the economic development of Zambia. In November last year, Premier Li Qiang paid a successful visit to Zambia, and witnessed the signing of the protocol on the export of heat-processed cocoons to China together with President Hichilema. From the signing of the protocol to the dispatch of the first shipment, the two countries have acted swiftly to deliver on the consensus reached by their leaders.
What Comes Next
The first shipment of heat-processed cocoons is only the beginning. With the strong backing of the zero-tariff policy and the joint efforts of the governments and business communities of both countries, more and more quality products from Zambia are expected to enter the Chinese market, such as soybeans, macadamia nuts, dried paprika, blueberries and beyond. The Chinese government stands ready to take this opportunity to support Zambia in fully leveraging the zero-tariff policy, deepening cooperation in trade, investment and other fields, and taking the China-Zambia friendship to new heights.
The route from Mpika leads not just to the Chinese market — it points toward a shared dream of modernization for China and Africa alike.