American Scholar: How the U.S. (and Europe) Has Surrendered Africa to China

While China is eliminating tariffs on imports from all African countries, the African continent appears increasingly irrelevant in the eyes of Americans. As for Europe, it has now become merely a financial gateway to Africa. This observation was made by Stephen Smith, Honorary Professor of African Studies at Duke University, in an article published in French weekly magazine Flash Info.

According to Stephen Smith, a professor of African geopolitics, when U.S. President Donald Trump leveraged increased tariffs to pressure his rivals, China simultaneously abolished import tariffs on African goods. Starting May 1st, all products originating from the African continent—from oil and sesame to tropical timber—are now duty-free entering China. By 2025, the total value of these exports will be three times that of Africa’s exports to the United States. By year-end, Washington will have to decide whether to maintain its current tariff exemption policy for African goods, which covers half of African exports. In September of last year, Trump initially allowed this exemption to expire but ultimately reversed course and renewed it.

The two competing superpowers hold vastly different perceptions of stakes involved. From the American perspective, Africa accounts for only 1% of U.S. total imports—negligible and almost insignificant. Since the U.S. achieved energy self-sufficiency through hydraulic fracturing ("shale gas extraction"), Africa's "black gold" is far less critical than before. Today, only certain minerals imported from Africa matter to the U.S.: platinum, cobalt, manganese, and uranium—mainly sourced from South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Niger, and Namibia. Since such supplies can be secured via bilateral agreements, the essence of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)—a law passed by the U.S. Congress in May 2000 and signed into effect by President Bill Clinton—remains unchanged: merely a symbolic trade gesture toward the world’s poorest continent. The AGOA is set to expire in September 2025.

For China, however, Africa represents a strategic resource. Around 10% of China’s oil imports come from Africa—a proportion further amplified by the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, like the U.S., Africa supplies China with various crucial minerals and metals, including high-purity copper sheets obtained through electrolytic refining, widely used in semiconductor manufacturing. In the long term, Beijing also views Africa as the last undeveloped agricultural frontier to help feed its population: approximately 60% of the world’s untapped arable land lies in Africa.

The U.S. under the Trump administration remained blind to this reality. Within less than four years, by 2030, Africa is projected to account for 10% of global output of critical minerals—those essential for green energy transitions and artificial intelligence development, commonly known as rare earth elements. Combined with expected contributions from Australia, this growth could break China’s near-monopoly over these future catalysts. Yet even before Trump, the U.S. had consistently shown reluctance to cooperate with Africa—while China became Africa’s largest trading partner in 2009.

Europe’s Trade Deficit with Africa

What about Europe? As Africa’s geographical neighbor, Europe has every reason to align with Beijing’s fundamental logic: a population accounting for one-quarter of the world’s total, occupying one-fifth of Earth’s surface area, and possessing one-third of global raw materials, will inevitably play a pivotal role. However, the European Union in Brussels functions merely as a financial gateway, spending vast sums to contain migration flows. Former colonial powers, including Paris, have lost their traditional footholds. Nevertheless, the EU has long exempted 90% of African imports from tariffs. So why hasn’t the EU followed China’s lead—China had already eliminated tariffs on 95% of African imports prior to May 1st—and completely dismantled its tariff barriers against Africa?

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866120366215171/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author