The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said in a statement that the selected goods were the same as those listed in the categories granted zero tariff rates to 27 other African countries, including Benin.
An official with the ministry said the categories included textiles, farm produce, aquatic products and minerals.
The 278 products from Afghanistan included textile goods such as cotton and silk carpets, aquatic products, farm produce and hardware, said the official, who declined to be named.
He said the list of products was published last month in a statement, which included Yemen and the Maldives, Samoa and Vanuatu.