Beijing is rewriting its trade playbook by bypassing years of protracted bilateral negotiations to grant continent-wide market access for African coffee, chillies and cashews.

The streamlined “green channel”, announced by China’s General Administration of Customs, applies uniform sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards to all 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing. Products meeting baseline requirements on pest risks, processing and safety are now immediately eligible, eliminating the need for individual country-by-country trade deals.

The growing appetite for fiery hotpots in Hunan and Sichuan provinces has fuelled demand for the East African varieties prized by Chinese food processors for their heat and low moisture content.