According to Zheng Xuan, Chinese ambassador to Mozambique, interviewed by AIM, this measure, in force since December 2024, represents a milestone in bilateral economic relations.
“By 2025, the tariff exemption policy has allowed Mozambique to save approximately 140 million renminbi. This is the principle of mutual benefit and win-win,” said the Ambassador.
The diplomat explained that the initiative is part of a long-term economic policy aimed at sustainable development. The measure eliminated customs tariffs on Mozambican exports to the Chinese market.
This allows national products to enter the world’s largest consumer market with greater competitiveness, boosting exports.
According to the ambassador, the economic impacts are clear and comprehensive. “A country with zero tariffs on China gains preferential access to the world’s largest consumer market, boosting exports of commodities and manufactured goods,” she said.
He added that the advantages include increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), creating jobs, reducing trade imbalances, attracting foreign direct investment and facilitating technology transfer.
The diplomat also highlighted that the elimination of customs tariffs directly contributes to increasing the volume of Mozambican exports, while also helping to correct the trade deficit with China.
“The economic model applied to Mozambique also allows the correction of trade deficits, reducing the weight of the imbalance in the trade balance”, he explained.
In the interview, Zheng Xuan highlighted the approval this year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, a strategic instrument that guides the country’s economic and foreign policies.
“This plan reaffirms China’s commitment to continue supporting Africa’s economic development, with Mozambique taking a prominent place in the priorities of bilateral cooperation,” he stated.
The plan aligns with the priorities of the Mozambican Government, focusing on key sectors such as agriculture, trade, infrastructure and mineral resources.
“We will make efforts to intensify bilateral cooperation with Mozambique, taking into account its potential”, added the diplomat.
According to data from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), African countries with zero-tariff access tend to experience increases of between 10 percent and 30 percent in exports in the first few years of implementation.
(AIM)
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