South Africa has taken a decisive step toward securing duty-free access to the Chinese market after signing an economic partnership framework agreement during an official visit to China by Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau.
The agreement was formalized between Parks Tau and his counterpart from the People’s Republic of China, Wang Wentao, in a context in which Pretoria—South Africa’s administrative capital and seat of government—seeks to strengthen national exports and diversify its strategic markets.
“Minister Parks Tau and his counterpart from the People’s Republic of China, Minister Wang Wentao, signed the Economic Partnership Framework Agreement for Shared Prosperity,” the South African Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Competition said in an official statement.
According to the same source, the agreement lays the groundwork for more specific future negotiations between the two countries, with potential direct impact on bilateral trade and preferential access for South African products to the Chinese market.
“The agreement will be followed by the negotiation and conclusion of an Early Harvest Agreement by the end of March 2026, which will allow China to grant duty-free access to exports from South Africa,” the statement said.
The initiative comes amid growing pressure on South African foreign trade, at a time when the country is facing a tariff dispute with the United States (US).
The US is South Africa’s second largest bilateral trading partner, immediately after China, which reinforces the strategic importance of the Chinese market for absorbing South African exports.
In August last year, US President Donald Trump imposed a 30% tariff on South African exports to the US market, the highest applied to a sub-Saharan African country, exacerbating the challenges faced by Pretoria in international trade.
Source: Reuters
