Africa-Press – Botswana. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday highlighted the trend of deepened ties between China and Africa driven by “booming trade” since September 2024, noting that a large number of distinctive and high-quality African products have entered the Chinese market duty-free, enriching consumer choices and boosting related industries in Africa.
From January to July this year, China’s imports from the least-developed countries (LDCs) in Africa reached $39.66 billion, a year-on-year increase of 10.2 percent, data released by the MOFCOM showed.
“Products such as avocados from Kenya, Arabica coffee beans from Ethiopia, and cocoa beans from Cameroon have entered the Chinese market duty-free, providing Chinese consumers with more options and promoting the development of related industries in Africa,” spokesperson He Yongqian said.
He made the remarks at a regular press conference on Thursday in response to a question about the implementation of trade and economic measures announced at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing in September last year, as well as new highlights in bilateral economic and trade cooperation over the past year.
China and Africa have been more closely bonded in their pursuit of modernization as both sides announced at the FOCAC an upgrade of China-Africa relations and unveiled 10 partnership actions, reported last year. Among actions to facilitate trade, China decided to give all the LDCs having diplomatic relations with China, including 33 countries in Africa, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of the tariff lines at the time.
“China has actively supported the least developed countries in Africa in making full use of the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines, and signed framework agreements for economic partnership for common development,” He noted, pointing to China’s efforts to provide platforms for bilateral business cooperation at major exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, facilitating the entry of more African specialty products into the Chinese market.
Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the Forum 50 for Digital-Real Economies Integration, told the Global Times on Thursday that by removing tariffs on all products from Africa’s LDCs, China has created a significant opportunity for African exporters to access one of the world’s largest consumer markets.
“This policy not only boosts trade volumes but also encourages African nations to diversify their exports, particularly in high-value agricultural products like coffee,” Hu said, expecting future cooperation opportunities on building processing capabilities in Africa to add value to these products, which will further strengthen economic ties and support sustainable development.
At Thursday’s briefing, He also noted the driving effect of “industrial chain cooperation” on investment in Africa. Chinese companies, relying on overseas economic and trade cooperation zones, have formed industrial clusters and deepened investment cooperation with Africa in areas such as agricultural product processing, home appliances, logistics, and new energy, she said.
Chinese enterprises have invested in and constructed alumina plants and steel mills in countries such as Egypt, Guinea, and Zimbabwe, helping Africa enhance its industrialization level, increase the added value of resource products, and better integrate into global industrial and supply chains, the spokesperson said.
Recently, an IMF report pointed out that under the guidance of the FOCAC, China-Africa cooperation has become a key driver of Africa’s economic growth. China-Africa trade contributes 1-2 percentage points to Africa’s economic growth annually, and Chinese investments have increased the local processing rate in Africa from 15 percent to 45 percent.
Moreover, over the past year, cooperation between China and Africa in green and emerging sectors has deepened and yielded solid results. “China’s new-energy vehicles and photovoltaic products, known for their high quality and competitive prices, have been well-received by people in African countries,” the spokesperson said.
Chinese financial institutions have established special funds for green industrial chains, and Chinese companies have implemented a large number of clean energy projects in Africa, supporting green development on the continent, according to the ministry.
“Meanwhile, we have organized online e-commerce seminars for Africa, promoted the construction of a digital verification platform for China-Africa trade, trained more digital talent for Africa, and deepened cooperation in the digital economy between the two sides,” He said.
The MOFCOM will continue to promote the effective implementation of the 10 Partnership Actions, better achieve economic integration, development linkages, and shared outcomes between China and Africa, and make new contributions to building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, according to the spokesperson.
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