China offers South Africa duty-free market access amid pressure from US tariffs
Business Insider1 day
South Africa Signs Trade Deal With China Amid US Tariffs
Does China's zero-tariff policy exploit Africa or does it offer crucial economic partnership amid Western hostility?
Above: Trade Minister Parks Tau at Westcliff Hotel, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Feb. 4. Image credit: Luba Lesolle/Gallo Images/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
South Africa's trade deal with China delivers crucial duty-free market access and investment opportunities precisely when Trump's punitive tariffs threaten thousands of jobs. The agreement provides a stable economic partnership during a period when Washington has abandoned reliable trade relations, excluded South Africa from the G20, and launched baseless accusations against Pretoria. Diversifying toward China and non-Western markets represents smart economic policy that reduces dangerous over-reliance on an increasingly hostile United States.
Anti-China narrative
China's zero-tariff policy for Africa masks a deepening exploitation that keeps the continent trapped as a raw materials supplier. Despite Beijing's promises, African exports remain concentrated in low-value minerals while imports from China surge faster, creating a $60 billion deficit that widens yearly. The policy won't drive industrialization or structural transformation — it simply reinforces Africa's subordinate position in global supply chains unless paired with genuine capacity building and infrastructure investment.
Metaculus Prediction
Public Figures
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0