ISTANBUL

China and South Africa signed a partnership agreement under which South Africa will receive zero-tariff treatment on 100% of tariff lines exported to China, according to a release by the Chinese Commerce Ministry on Friday.

“Through the signing of the agreement on a common economic partnership, Beijing will ensure that South Africa enjoys zero-tariff treatment on 100% of its tariff lines exported to China in a manner consistent with WTO rules, providing long-term, stable and predictable institutional safeguards to comprehensively enhance the level of China-South Africa economic and trade cooperation,” Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said according to a statement.

Wang also expressed Beijing's willingness to “actively respond to South Africa's 'new investment initiative,' expand investment cooperation in the automotive, mining, agriculture and new energy sectors, and jointly build stable and resilient industrial and supply chain partnerships.”

The agreement comes as the US has imposed 30% tariffs on imports from South Africa, which is also the 33rd African country to sign such a framework agreement with China.

South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation with China within multilateral frameworks such as the World Trade Organization, jointly upholding multilateralism and promoting global trade development, according to the Chinese Commerce Ministry statement.

The agreement will boost trade with China “while increasing exports and rebuilding our industrial capacity,” he wrote on US social media company X.

Tau is on a visit to China until Saturday.

The UK recently became the first country to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under China's “Big Market for All: Export to China” initiative, which aims to expand imports into the East Asian nation, according to the British Chambers of Commerce.