China-Africa Tax and Trade Treaties

China has signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Mauritius and signed Double Taxation Agreements (DTA) with several African economies: Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Congo (Republic of), Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Sudan, Tunis, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The latest data showed China's trade with Africa in the first ten months of 2022 grew by 14.3 percent to USD 236 billion. While African cumulative imports from January to October 2022 with China amounted to USD 101 billion, compared to USD106 billion for the whole of 2021.

According to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, 98 percent of Ugandan goods will access the Chinese market at zero tariffs starting December 1st, 2022. This is the second set of least-developed countries to benefit from such cuts, after another nine African countries were among those granted tariff-free access to the Chinese market in September 2022.

During the next three years, China has pledged to increase the scope of products receiving zero tariff treatment for least developed countries with diplomatic ties to reach USD 300 billion in total imports from Africa.

Uganda is among the 10 least-developed countries for which zero-tariff treatment is granted to 98 percent of taxable items, the other economies are Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, and Zambia.

A growing number of Ugandan goods have been allowed into China's market at a tariff-free rate since 2010. In 2012 China increased the zero tariff line to 95 percent from 60 percent of 2010, and then in 2015, the zero tariff treatment was further increased to 97 percent of the imports from Uganda.

The policy covers nearly 8,800 items, including agricultural goods, chemicals, and chemical products.

According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs (CAG), China's trade with Uganda grew by 8.3 percent in October 2022.