China to Waive Tariffs on Goods From Nine African Nations

China recently announced it will waive tariffs on 98% of taxable imports from nine African countries beginning Dec. 1, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported last week. The waived tariffs will apply to certain goods from Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, the report said. The measure will apply to 8,786 items, including certain agricultural products and chemicals, and will eventually expand to cover “all least-developed countries which have diplomatic ties with China.”