Pretoria signed an economic partnership agreement with Beijing, a step toward securing zero tariffs on South African exports to the Chinese market.
The two countries agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment in areas including mining, agriculture, renewable energy, and technology. A follow-up agreement, due by the end of March, “will see China provide duty free access to South African exported products,” South Africa’s government said in a statement.
The deal comes amid ongoing political tensions between the continent’s biggest economy and Washington: The Trump administration imposed a 30% tariff on South African exports to the US in August, the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa.
Beijing has emphasized its role in upholding a global trading system that was upended by Washington’s new tariffs last year. “Against the backdrop of rampant unilateralism and protectionism, China will continue to strengthen communication and coordination with South Africa within multilateral frameworks such as the WTO and BRICS,” its commerce minister said.