ADDIS ABABA, May 1 — A United Nations official has described China’s zero-tariff treatment of African countries as a welcome development in both political and economic areas.
Batanai Clemence Chikwene, program management officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), told Xinhua recently that China’s decision to grant zero-tariff treatment to products from Africa is a welcome decision and allows countries of the continent to enjoy the Chinese market of more than 1 billion people with a stable policy environment.
“The decision shows the desire of China to help African countries find their own way to get out of poverty and begin the road to prosperity.
It lowers the barriers to the Chinese market and offers real opportunities for African businesses to use it as a trading instrument for growth and prosperity,” Chikwene told Xinhua.
Unlike the traditional market Africa has been exporting to, the policy environment in China is stable, and African exporters will face no increase in tariff or imposition of some other unexpected requirements, the UNECA official noted.
According to Chikwene, with China being Africa’s largest trading partner, Chinese and African businesses have already created strong linkages.
The new policy would put African traders in a comfortable position to establish an export base in China.
Chikwene emphasized that African governments need to put in place supportive policies, while African businesses are supposed to export goods that meet the right quality to effectively benefit from China’s zero-tariff treatment.
China on Friday expanded its zero-tariff treatment to cover all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties, creating new opportunities for Africa to boost exports and industrialization amid the global headwinds of protectionism. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
