South African Experts Welcome China’s Duty-Free Access for Exports

(MENAFN) South African experts have praised China’s decision to grant duty-free access across all tariff lines for South African exports, calling it a major boost for the country’s trade and industrial development, according to reports.

The move was formalized during a visit to China earlier this month by South African Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau. The Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership sets the stage for an “Early Harvest Agreement,” expected by the end of March, which will allow South African goods to enter the Chinese market duty-free and encourage greater Chinese investment in South Africa.

Economists and trade analysts said the zero-tariff treatment signals strong market openness and could reinvigorate bilateral economic ties.

“The deal opens the door for South Africa to pursue a different development trajectory by accessing manufacturing and services technology that it currently does not have,” said Tafadzwa Ruzive, an economist at the University of the Free State.

Ruzive noted that the country has gained wider market access, especially for agricultural and mining products, while China is showing interest in investing in South Africa’s manufacturing sector. Exporting raw materials alongside attracting advanced technology and industrial capacity, he said, could offer South Africa an alternative growth path and deepen integration into Chinese value chains, strengthening bilateral economic relations.

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