The 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) marks the first session of the event since China expanded its zero-tariff policy to 53 African countries it has diplomatic ties with. China encouraged these countries to make full use of the policy, which grants zero tariffs on 100 percent of taxable items. As a result, the number of participating African enterprises this year has surged by 80 percent from a year ago.
“We are joining this event for the first time this year,” said Xiehe from Senegal, an employee of SONACOS, a local company specializing in the trade of peanut and peanut oil. “We hope to use this major platform to promote our products. Fortunately, by the second day of the expo, many clients had already visited our booth and expressed interest in cooperation,” he/she said.
When asked why they chose to come to the CIIE, many African exhibitors gave the same answer: China offers a vast market and abundant opportunities.
For a honey company from Zambia, the CIIE has opened doors to remarkable growth its exports have risen from less than one tonne in 2018 to an annual average of about 20 tons. A Shanghai-based importer that once purchased just one or two containers of coffee beans from Ethiopia each year now brings in over 100 containers annually. A pineapple producer from Benin gained wide attention at the 6th CIIE, signing multiple cooperation agreements with Chinese enterprises, which not only secured stable orders but also encouraged Chinese companies to invest in Benin, set up factories and share advanced planting techniques and management expertise.
“At the CIIE, just a few conversations can lead to major business deals,” said James Kimonyo, Rwanda’s ambassador to China. “Through China-Africa trade exchanges, Chinese consumers are discovering new and unique products from Africa, while African countries are gaining new momentum for development — improving the livelihoods and incomes of local people in tangible ways.”
According to China’s General Administration of Customs, China has remained Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 years. Starting December, 2024, China granted zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines to the least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China, including 33 African countries, becoming the first major developing country and major economy in the world to implement such a policy. This initiative now has been expanded to benefit 53 African countries.
