Since December 1, China has implemented a new customs policy to grant zero tariff treatment on 100% of products from least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with it, including 33 African countries, thus becoming the first developing country and one of the world’s leading economies to adopt this measure.
In a context where trade protectionism is wreaking havoc around the world, this policy of China demonstrates its continued commitment to high-level openness and its desire to share the dividends of its development with less developed countries. , particularly with those in Africa, to move forward together on the path to modernization.
At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which took place in early September, China decided to unilaterally expand the opening of its market and grant tariff treatment 100% of products exported to China by least developed countries having diplomatic relations with it, including 33 African countries, are zero.
The move is one of the “ten partnership actions” to promote the modernization of China and Africa, thereby strengthening the China-Africa community with a shared future, said Yang Baorong of the Institute of China-Africa Studies. West Asia and Africa of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
This major measure aims to boost industrial cooperation through large-scale trade, improve the quality of China-Africa cooperation and encourage more countries in the South to participate in the modernization process, he stressed.
China has applied tariff preference policies for agricultural products from Africa for many years. In 2005, China began granting zero tariff treatment to 190 categories of products from 28 least developed African countries, and these policies have been gradually expanded since then. These measures have made it possible to reduce the costs of African products, improve their competitiveness and contribute to the reduction of poverty in the region.
Thanks to these preferential policies, trade between China and Africa continues to strengthen, and more and more African agricultural products access the Chinese market.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years and the second largest destination for African agricultural exports.
According to Chinese customs statistics, the value of imports of African agricultural products into China reached 28.47 billion yuan (about four billion dollars) in the first eight months of this year, an annual growth of 4.8 %.
According to Li Yincai, a researcher at the Institute of International Studies of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, the zero tariff treatment policy will help reduce trade gaps between China and Africa and play an important role in integration. industrial chains and the overall trade structure in Africa.
“In the long term, African countries that do not yet benefit from this preferential policy will be able to transfer their industries to beneficiary countries, which will promote the integration of production chains within the region,” he added.
Zhang Jianping, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, stressed that the policy reflects China’s commitment as a responsible major country. It will promote the entry of more quality agricultural products into China.
“The zero tariff policy that we grant to these least developed countries allows them to share the large Chinese market and high growth opportunities, thus contributing to their common development,” he concluded.
