China is considering including more African goods in a list of products excluded from import tariffs as a way of further boosting trade with the continent, state media said on Sunday.
China already levies no import tariffs on more than 10 types of goods imported from 31 African countries, including textiles, machinery and farm products, the official Xinhua news agency said.
”On the basis of offering zero tariffs for goods from 31 least developed African countries, we will actively consider further expanding the beneficiary scope of African products, and encourage enterprises to favour African goods under the same conditions,” it quoted Commerce Minister Chen Deming as saying.
China has pumped billions of dollars into Africa in recent years in search of natural resources for its booming economy. That has unnerved Western donors, who worry that it is ignoring human rights abuses.
But China says its aid comes with no strings attached and that its trade with the continent is good for economic development. – Reuters