China and Preferential Tariff Treatment for Africa

China Briefing posted on 18 April 2017 an analysis titled "New Import Measures in China to Benefit Africa, Southeast Asian Exporters" by Weining Hu.

Thirty-one least-developed countries (LDCs) in Africa qualify for China's preferential trade treatment. Interestingly, oil-rich Angola and Equatorial Guinea and mineral-rich Zambia are on this list. The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) recently made two major changes in the regulations that should benefit these 31 countries. GACC expanded the criteria that determine the national source of a product, allowing more products to be regarded as originating from a beneficiary country. GACC streamlined the consignment process, making the export process more efficient than previously.

Djibouti's Free Trade Zone (French and English)

The Oxford Business Group published on 13 March 2017 an article titled "Djibouti Moves to Galvanise Trade Development." Djibouti's new $540 million port is being developed by China Merchants Holding and the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority. The free trade zone is expected to be fully operational by 2018.