Ministry of Commerce: Support African countries to fully utilize and benefit from the zero-tariff policy on 100% tariff products.

The State Council Information Office held a press conference today, and the person in charge of the Ministry of Commerce stated that they will support all the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, including 33 African countries, to fully utilize the preferential policy of zero tariffs on 100% of tax products, and share the development opportunities brought by the Chinese market. It was introduced that since the implementation of the zero tariff policy from December 1 last year to March this year, China's imports from the least developed countries in Africa reached US$21.42 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15.2%. Since the closing of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September last year, 22 new agricultural products from 18 African countries including Zambian soybeans and Nigerian peanuts have been granted access to the Chinese market. At the 7th China International Import Expo, a "African Products Zone" was set up to facilitate negotiations between domestic professional buyers and African exhibitors, helping African high-quality products with unique features to enter the Chinese market. Products such as Zambian honey, Kenyan flowers, and Benin pineapples have become popular products at the expo. In the first quarter of this year, imports of coffee from Africa to China increased by 70.4% year-on-year, and cocoa beans increased by 56.8%. Since Rwandan dried chili entered the Chinese market in 2021, chili growing has become an important export industry for Rwanda, directly benefiting thousands of local farmers. Shen Xiang, the director of the West Asia and Africa Department of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that in the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will continue to work with relevant departments to support the least developed countries, especially the least developed countries in Africa, to fully utilize and benefit from this preferential policy, expanding the scale and variety of exports to China, and sharing the development opportunities brought by the Chinese market, providing more high-quality and affordable choices for Chinese enterprises and consumers.