How Will China’s Non-Tariff Measures On Imports Affect Africa’s Exports To China?

China-Africa cooperation is a model of south-south cooperation.This paper studies the structural changes of African exports to China from 1992 to 2012 and the impact of the non-tariff measures on African exports to China.Firstly,the Feenstra Index is used to decompose the exports of 53 African countries to China into extensive margin and intensive margin and study the contribution of extensive margin and intensive margin in export growth.Secondly,using the gravity model we study the influence of non-tariff measures on African exports to China.According to the research results,Africa did not experience significant changes in its export structure to China.This finding confirms the long persistent position that Africa’s export sector has not upscaled from the first stage of exporting primary products such as raw materials and other agricultural products to more sophisticated manufactured goods such as capital goods or high-value goods in general.The study further shows that some countries exported little or nothing in 2001,but exports increased and decreased significantly in 2012.The results indicate that Africa has experienced some amount of within continent changes in its export composition.Rapid export growth was associated with a move out of countries like Cameroon,Egypt,Gabon,Ghana,Liberia,Morocco,Mozambique,Namibia,Nigeria,Sudan and South Africa to countries such as Angola,Algeria,Congo,Congo,Mauritania,Tanzania,and Zambia.Countries with a relatively high share of exports in 2001 maintained their advantages in 2012,while countries with a relatively small share of exports had no significant growth in 2012.This result indicates that the expansion of African exports is mainly along the margin of intensification rather than expansion.China’s import non-tariff measures have a negative impact on Africa’s total exports to China and the types of products exported to China,and a positive impact on the number of African countries exporting to China.This paper argues that because China gives zero-tariff preferential treatment to the 31 least developed countries in Africa,the preferential measures affect the export decision of African countries to a greater extent.In this paper,African countries are divided into coastal countries and landlocked countries.Based on the above research results,we found that African countries export structure has the oneness and fragility,non-tariff measures hindered African countries to export to China,therefore,is needed in the future development of China-Africa mutual,Africa should focus on export diversification of ascension to improve the export structure,the second one is to reduce trade cost,not only need to enhance the level of infrastructure construction and need to put money on the rules of trade facilitation and docking.As for China,it should actively expand investment in Africa,carry out production capacity cooperation,and improve the production capacity of African countries.At the same time,it should actively formulate a new round of "Aid for Trade" plan to enhance the ability of Africa to participate in international trade markets.