According to foreign media reports, South African Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel, who is currently visiting China, and Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao have signed a framework economic partnership agreement. South Africa stated that this is an important step towards promoting duty-free access for South African goods into the Chinese market.
Foreign media on the 6th quoted a statement from the South African Department of Trade and Industry. Patel began his three-day visit to China on the 5th.
As Africa's largest economy, South Africa is seeking to boost exports through alternative channels as it faces a tariff dispute with the United States. The United States is South Africa's second largest bilateral trading partner, after China.
U.S. President Trump announced in August last year that a 30% tariff would be imposed on South African goods exported to the United States. This is the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa.
The South African Department of Trade and Industry stated that after the signing of the agreement, an early harvest agreement will be signed with China at the end of March, at which time China will offer duty-free access to imported products from South Africa.
After President Trump announced tariff increases on multiple countries around the world at the beginning of last year, China announced in June of the same year that it would remove tariffs for 53 African diplomatic partners.
Kenya, the largest economy in East Africa, also announced a preliminary trade agreement with China last month.
The report quoted the South African Department of Trade and Industry as saying that it hopes to create business opportunities for South African enterprises accessing the Chinese market, especially in the mining and agriculture sectors.