According to letters of exchange with 26 African least developed countries including Ethiopia, Liberia, Congo and Mozambique, 60% imports from the above-mentioned countries will enjoy free duty from July 1 of 2010. Head of the Department of Western Asian and African Affairs of MOFCOM stated that to exempt duty on imports from African least developed countries was the commitment made by China in China-Africa Cooperation Forum and also an important measure for China to help African counties develop and further enhance the fair and mutual benefit cooperation relations.

At present, apart from the above-mentioned 26 countries in 30 African least developed countries which established diplomatic relations with China, the letters of exchange with the rest four countries including Angola, Senegal, Niger and Somalia are in process and expected to come into effect at the beginning of 2011.

Additionally, since 2005, China has granted duty-free treatment on some imports from African least developed countries. After Beijing Summit of China-Africa Cooperation Forum in 2006, China increased the categories of commodities which could enjoy duty free treatment to 478. Since the implementation of such measure, great achievements have been reached, such as African increasing exports to China. In order to open its market to African market so that enhance the export competition of African commodities, the Chinese government will gradually expand the range of commodities which could enjoy zero-tariff to 95% for all African least developed countries which established diplomatic relations with China in next three years. In 2010, China firstly exempted duties on 60% imports from the above-mentioned 26 countries, and thus, the categories of zero-tariff commodities reached over 4,700 instead of 478 in 2006. Such individual and voluntary preferential measure is made by China in accordance with its economic power and in line with the WTO rules.

List of Countries whose part exports to China enjoy duty free treatment:

Burundi, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Comoros, Rwanda, Guinea, Benin, Mauritania, Eritrea, Uganda, Togo, Malawi, Lesotho, Sudan, Mozambique, Mali, Djibouti, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Chad, Madagascar, Zambia, Congo, Equatorial Guinea.

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)