South Africa is closer to exporting goods to China without paying import duties after Trade Minister Parks Tau signed a new economic partnership agreement during a visit to China, his office said on Friday, according to Reuters.
In a statement, the trade ministry said, “Minister Parks Tau and his counterpart from the People’s Republic of China, Minister Wang Wentao, have signed the Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Prosperity.”
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The ministry explained that “This … agreement will be followed by negotiation and conclusion of an Early Harvest Agreement by end of March 2026, which will then see China provide duty-free access to South African exported products.”
The deal comes as South Africa works to grow its exports because of a tariff dispute with the United States, its second-largest trading partner after China.
In August, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 30% tariff on South African exports to the U.S., the highest tariff rate applied to any country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Image Credit: The China Africa Project
