African cocoa exporters are focusing on China after Beijing removed import tariffs on goods from the continent in May. Industry officials say the move could reshape trade flows that have long sent most of the world’s cocoa to Europe.
The zero-tariff policy ends duties that once ranged from 8% to 22% on cocoa products entering China, depending on whether the beans were raw or processed. For Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the top global producers, the change removes a barrier that had limited Chinese demand.
Tariffs gone, demand uncertain
Adeola Adegoke, president of the Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance of Africa, said the policy provides an incentive to boost cocoa exports to China. “Europe consumes two-thirds of African cocoa, but other markets are now emerging in China and India, and these are also competing,” he stated.
China’s cocoa imports have surged, increasing 88% from $714 million in 2013 to $1.34 billion last year. Most of that growth came from processed products like cocoa butter and powder rather than raw beans. However, the country’s chocolate consumption remains much lower than Europe’s, and exporters remain cautious about how quickly demand will rise.
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West Africa supplies over 70% of the world’s cocoa, with Côte d’Ivoire producing nearly half. Ghana, and Cameroon also rank among the top five global producers. The region’s dominance has faced challenges from aging trees, unpredictable weather, and disease, which reduced output by 12.9% in the 2025-2026 season to 4.368 million tonnes, according to the International Cocoa Organization.
Côte d’Ivoire’s harvest dropped from 2 million tonnes to 1.6 million, while Ghana’s fell by half to 500,000 tonnes. These declines have kept global prices unstable, even as demand from Europe and the U.S. stays steady.
Processing plants point to long-term bet
China’s interest in African cocoa extends beyond imports. State-backed firms have financed processing plants in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, securing supplies of semi-finished products. In Côte d’Ivoire, the China Light Industry Nanning Design Engineering Company built two facilities with a combined capacity of 150,000 tonnes per year. One plant in San Pedro can process 100,000 tonnes annually. In Ghana, a 32,000-tonne plant near Accra was also constructed with Chinese funding.
Officials say up to 40% of the output from these plants is designated for export to China, creating a direct pipeline that avoids traditional traders. For producer countries, this setup allows them to retain more value from their crops.
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The challenge now is whether China’s cocoa demand will grow quickly enough to offset risks. For decades, African producers have depended on European buyers. The new tariff policy offers a chance to change that, but only if the economics work.
Most exporters will wait to see how demand develops before renegotiating contracts or redirecting shipments. Europe remains the dominant market for now, but the opportunity in Asia is expanding, and early steps are already being taken.
Annual flooding in West African cities has disrupted cocoa supply chains, adding another layer of uncertainty to the region’s production challenges.
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