South African exporters are rushing to use China's zero-tariff window, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said on Thursday at a briefing for South African and Chinese businesses in Pretoria, BusinessDay reported.

Source: BusinessDay

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) issued 25,975 certificates of origin between June 1 and August 31, allowing qualifying goods to enter China without customs duties, and customs declarations increased 199% year on year over the period, Tau said, according to both BusinessDay and the official SAnews agency.

Source: SAnews

Reuters also reported on Thursday that South Africa's trade with China has surged this year since Beijing introduced the zero-tariff scheme for qualifying African goods.

A two-year window, and a push for certainty beyond 2028

The arrangement took effect on May 1 and runs until April 30, 2028. It covers 100% of products except 47 tariff lines subject to tariff-rate quotas, SAnews said, and exporters must meet rules of origin and obtain valid SARS certificates to qualify.

Tau said officials are negotiating an Early Harvest Agreement through the Southern African Customs Union, after a framework agreement on economic partnership was signed in February. "Our aim is to give exporters certainty beyond 2028, with safeguards that protect South African industry and jobs," he said, BusinessDay reported.

Agriculture is among the sectors with the clearest opening — citrus, apples, stone fruit and wine — and South Africa has drawn up a Top 100 value-added product portfolio for the Chinese market, covering agro-processing, beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, medical equipment and automotive products, SAnews said. BusinessDay noted the certificate and declaration figures show activity under the scheme, but do not by themselves establish how much extra export revenue it has generated.