Maputo — Mozambique saves annually 20 million US dollars as result of China's zero-tariff policy applied to its exports.
According to Zheng Xuan, Chinese ambassador to Mozambique, interviewed by AIM, this measure, which had been in effect since December 2024, represents a milestone in bilateral economic relations.
"By 2025, the tariff-free policy allowed Mozambique to save approximately 140 million renminbi. This is the principle of mutual benefit and win-win", the Ambassador said.
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The diplomat explained that the initiative is part of a long-term economic policy aimed at sustainable development. The measure has 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 far-reaching. "A country with zero tariffs in China gains preferential access to the world's largest consumer market, boosting exports of commodities and manufactured goods", she said.
She added that the advantages include increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP), job creation, reduction of trade imbalances, attraction of foreign direct investment, and facilitation of technology transfer.
The diplomat also emphasized 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 for the correction of trade deficits, reducing the weight of the imbalance in the trade balance,' she 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 the economic development of Africa, with Mozambique assuming a prominent place in the priorities of bilateral cooperation", she said.
The plan presents an alignment 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 register increases of between 10 percent and 30 percent in exports in the first years of implementation.