Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone, expressed his support for China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries, noting that the measures enable the African partners to share the development opportunities with the mega-sized Chinese market. Starting May 1 this year, the zero‑tariff treatment for products from all 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China will take effect. In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Bio says he appreciates the way China brings its development dividends to Africa.
China on Friday expanded its zero-tariff treatment to cover all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties, creating new opportunities for Africa to boost exports and industrialization amid the global headwinds of protectionism.
In the early hours of Friday, 24 tonnes of apples from South Africa cleared customs in south China’s Shenzhen, becoming the first batch of African goods to benefit from the expanded zero-tariff policy.
China has already scrapped tariffs on 100 percent of tariff lines for 33 least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa since Dec. 1, 2024. The new zero-tariff policy will benefit the relatively better-off countries such as Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria.
Under the new arrangement, zero tariffs will apply to the 20 African non-LDCs in the form of a preferential tariff rate for two years, during which China will continue to promote the signing of the China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development agreement with relevant African countries. Officials said the agreement will fix zero tariffs as a long-term institutional arrangement.
China’s commerce ministry said in a statement that the zero-tariff policy will lend a competitive edge to African products such as cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, coffee and avocados from Kenya, and citrus fruits and wine from South Africa, which used to face tariffs ranging from 8 percent to 30 percent.
The ministry noted that zero tariffs will help encourage China and other trading partners to increase investment in Africa, bringing capital, technology, equipment and management expertise to process African specialty products locally. It will also make China-Africa trade more balanced and its growth more sustainable.
The latest move from China has been widely praised as a significant step toward further opening up the world’s second-largest economy at a time when much of the global trading system is gravitating toward protectionism and narrower market access.
(Additional reporting by Sallieu S. Kanu)
Source: Sierra Leone President praises China’s zero-tariff policy for Africa – CGTN