By Senior Editor, China Africa News
Banjul-Under the agreement signed on June 18, Gambian groundnut and cashew exports are now benefitting from duty-free access to the Chinese market through the China Duty Free Quota Free Market Access Preferential Scheme, facilitating enhanced trade opportunities for Gambian producers.
Young entrepreneurs across The Gambia are being urged to lean into the new opening and turn what has long been a raw-agrarian export economy into a more dynamic trade presence in China. At the recent 9th China–Gambia Friendship Bantaba and inaugural “Youth in Business Award” ceremony, held in collaboration with the Chinese embassy and the Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce, President of the Chamber, Modou Lamin Gassama, called on the youth to “innovate, scale production, boost trade, create jobs and support rural livelihoods.”
Counsellor Tong Zhan of the Chinese embassy emphasised that the 100 percent zero-tariff policy is already in motion and that protocols for exporting peanuts and cashews to China have been successfully signed a tangible move to link young Gambian agripreneurs with the world’s second-largest consumer market.
China has extended zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations, signalling a significant shift in market access and Africa-China trade dynamics. For The Gambia, a nation that has traditionally relied on groundnuts and cashews for export value, this means the potential to move up the value chain, embed more youth-led businesses in the production and agro-processing sectors, and open new pathways beyond commodity exports.
Yet the opportunity is not without its challenges. Yield-scaling, meeting Chinese import standards, packaging and logistics, and evolving from raw output to value-added goods all require investment, capacity-building and strategic vision. As one Gambian trade minister noted, access alone is not enough; the country must ensure that its producers are ready to take advantage of it.
For many young Gambians, the message is clear: the door to the Chinese market is open, the tariffs are gone but success will depend on their ability to seize it.
