SA signs landmark deal with China granting exports duty-free access

South Africa and China have signed the China-Africa Economic Partnership Agreement, a landmark deal granting South African exports duty-free access to the Chinese market and boosting investment into the country.

The agreement was signed in Beijing by Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau and China’s minister of commerce, Wang Wentao, during the joint economic and trade commission meeting.

The framework covers trade, investment, new energy, and multilateral cooperation, with both countries committing to expand bilateral trade, including South African agricultural products like citrus and rooibos tea.

Tau said the next step is to focus on implementing the agreement to ensure its benefits for South African businesses.

“Those implementation measures would include early harvest initiatives, investment in industrialisation in South Africa, agreements on standards and regulations to facilitate ease of access into the Chinese market and investment in South Africa. But they also include opportunities for South African companies,” he added.