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China and Switzerland sign free trade agreement, most products to have zero tariffs

03-15

Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng and Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister of Economic Affairs Johann Schneider-Ammann officially signed the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement in Beijing on July 6. This is the first free trade agreement signed between China and a European continental country.

At a press conference held after the signing ceremony, both sides stated that the signing of the free trade agreement is another milestone in the development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The agreement establishes a predictable institutional framework for future bilateral economic and trade exchanges, and will surely bring long-term and positive impacts to the economic development of both sides.

Gao Hucheng stated that the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement is a comprehensive, high-level, and mutually beneficial agreement. First, the agreement has a high zero-tariff rate. After the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement comes into effect, Switzerland will immediately implement zero tariffs on 99.7% of China's exports, and China will ultimately implement zero tariffs on 84.2% of Switzerland's exports. If we add some products with tariff reductions, the proportion of products involved in tariff reductions for Switzerland is 99.99%, and for China is 96.5%. This greatly exceeds the 90% tariff reduction level in general free trade agreements. Second, the agreement provides a platform for industrial cooperation between the two countries. Third, the agreement involves many new rules, including environment, labor and employment cooperation, intellectual property rights, government procurement information exchange, and competition.

Schneider-Ammann stated that after more than two years and nine rounds of negotiations, both sides have reached a comprehensive and balanced agreement, which will inject new vitality into the bilateral economic and trade relations. For Switzerland, the free trade agreement will, on the basis of existing laws, better protect Swiss companies' access to the rising Chinese market.

Gao Hucheng said that the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement reflects China's determination and confidence in continuing to expand its opening up, and China will use this as an opportunity to accelerate its free trade strategy. It is hoped that both sides will expedite their work, complete their respective domestic procedures as soon as possible, and promote the early entry into force of the agreement.

Aerospace Science and Technology signs contract for three turnkey construction projects in Nigeria

Nigeria hopes to cooperate with China in agriculture to solve its food and electricity problems

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The 41st PLMA Show in the Netherlands has concluded successfully, with Zhenghe Exhibition leading a hundred companies to shine across Europe.

05-25

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Zhenghe Exhibition visited Nigerian automotive technology and other industry associations to promote cooperation on the 2025 Nigeria (Lagos) China Goods Expo.

From January 3rd to 6th, 2025, representatives of Zhenghe Exhibition's overseas staff successively visited the secretariat of the Nigerian Automotive Technicians Association (NATA), the Amalgamated Union of Automobile Motor Mechanics and Technicians of Nigeria (AUOMMATON), and the Motor Mechanics and Technicians Association of Nigeria (MOMTAN). This visit primarily focused on in-depth discussions and exchanges regarding cooperation for the 2025 Nigeria (Lagos) China Commodities Fair. During the meetings, representatives of Zhenghe Exhibition's overseas staff introduced the basic situation of the Nigeria (Lagos) China Commodities Fair to the heads of the business associations. The heads of the various business associations acknowledged the significant achievements made by the exhibition in recent years. During the discussions, the three industry association leaders provided detailed information about their respective associations. As leaders and promoters of associations related to the automotive industry in Nigeria, these three associations have a wide influence in Nigeria and even West Africa. Against the backdrop of continuously deepening and upgrading China-Africa cooperation, they expressed high expectations for actively promoting trade cooperation between Nigeria and China in the automotive industry. The heads of the associations also stated their willingness to work with Zhenghe International Exhibition to jointly promote the continuous development of the Nigeria (Lagos) China Commodities Fair, uniformly organize member units to participate in the exhibition, and conduct one-on-one matchmaking discussions with Chinese exhibitors. As Africa's second-largest economy and most populous country, Nigeria has a huge demand for automotive and auto parts products, largely relying on imports. In Nigeria, over 90% of Nigerians tend to choose 'tokunbo' (used cars), which makes the 'tokunbo' distribution business very profitable in Nigeria. With the Nigerian government relaxing age restrictions on imported used cars, the volume of used car imports will further increase. Consequently, the auto parts market, both upstream and downstream of Nigeria's used car industry chain, will also see more opportunities. After years of operation by Chinese automakers, Chinese cars have established considerable 'prestige' in Nigeria. At the same time, the scarcity of local car repair outlets and the high cost of spare parts in Nigeria also indicate immense potential for Chinese auto parts exports to the Nigerian market.

01-09

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Deep cultivation of fertile soil ensures abundant blossoms - The 2025 Nigeria Lagos China Commodities Fair embarks on a new journey!

Nigeria is an important trade partner and investment destination for China in Africa, and also China's largest contracted project market in Africa. In 2023, the new contract value for Chinese enterprises' contracted engineering business in Nigeria reached 10.45 billion USD, with a turnover of 3.98 billion USD. On September 3, 2024, China and Nigeria issued a joint statement announcing the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership, promoting the building of a high-level China-Nigeria community with a shared future, and explicitly strengthening cooperation in areas such as infrastructure construction. Chinese Products are Hot-selling in the Nigerian Market under the Framework of China-Africa Cooperation According to data from the General Administration of Customs, from January to July 2024, China's imports and exports with Africa totaled 1.19 trillion CNY, a year-on-year increase of 5.5%. In 2023, China-Africa trade reached a historical peak of 282.1 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 1.5%, demonstrating the strong resilience of China-Africa trade. Among them, trade between Nigeria and China is booming. In 2023, the total trade volume between China and Nigeria soared to an astonishing 281.777 billion USD, with China's exports to Nigeria reaching 172.469 billion USD, highlighting the immense appeal of Chinese products in the Nigerian market. The main hot-selling products fall into the following major categories: 1. Electromechanical Products and Agricultural Machinery Products From efficient power generation equipment to reliable electrical products, China's electromechanical products have continuously met Nigeria's growing needs and directly promoted the rapid development of its infrastructure construction. In addition, hardware tools, power tools, construction machinery, and other electromechanical products are also very popular. The import of agricultural machinery, food machinery, and packaging machinery has adapted to the development needs of Nigeria's agriculture and food processing industries. At the same time, industrial manufacturing-related electromechanical products such as machine tools provide strong support for Nigeria's industrial development. 2. Textile and Garment Products Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with a current population exceeding 227 million, leading to huge domestic market demand. Textiles and clothing are major export items from China to Nigeria, accounting for 15% of China's total exports to Nigeria. Statistics show that in 2022, Nigeria's textile and garment imports reached 110 million USD, with China being its largest source country, accounting for approximately 47% of the total imports, almost half. As Nigeria's urbanization accelerates, more young people are eager to express themselves. In terms of fabrics, wax prints with unique craftsmanship and patterns, and brightly colored African jacquard fabrics are popular; for finished garments, shirts and sportswear with Chinese cultural elements or designs that align with local aesthetic preferences are highly sought after; regarding accessories, exquisite embroidery and unique buttons could also be among the featured products. 3. Auto Parts Products Nigeria is considered Africa's largest potential automotive market. In Nigeria, over 90% of Nigerians prefer "tokunbo" (used cars), making the "tokunbo" distribution business very profitable in Nigeria. With the Nigerian government relaxing age restrictions on imported used cars, the volume of used car imports will further increase. Therefore, the auto parts market, both upstream and downstream of Nigeria's used car industry chain, will also see more opportunities. 4. Wigs and Hair Products Eight out of every 10 Nigerian women wear wigs. Nigerian women have a particular preference for wigs and hair extensions, creating a substantial market for hair products of various sizes and prices. Furthermore, there is also significant demand for hair care products such as shampoos, relaxers, hair creams, and detangling brushes. 5. Building Materials, Hardware Accessories With the acceleration of urbanization and the continuous advancement of infrastructure construction in Africa, the African building materials and hardware market is showing vigorous development. 70% of hardware products in the African market rely on imports. The demand for hardware products is mainly concentrated in saw blades, steel pipes, and various types of mechanical hardware. From "Whether to Go" to "How to Go," Enterprises "Have a Soft Spot" for the African Market From surveying the Nigerian market in 2002 to bringing the Nigeria (Lagos) China Commodities Expo to the public's attention in 2007. In the blink of an eye, Zhenghe Exhibition has been organizing the Nigeria (Lagos) China Commodities Expo for over 17 years. Throughout the 53 years of China-Nigeria diplomatic relations, Zhenghe Exhibition has made every effort to actively assist in deepening the economic and trade relations between enterprises of both countries! Over these 17 years, we have organized thousands of enterprises from over 20 provinces and cities, including Hebei, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Guangdong, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing, to participate in the exhibition. Exhibits covered various fields such as agricultural machinery, vehicles and parts, construction machinery, hardware building materials, power equipment and new energy products, textiles and garments, beauty products, and daily necessities. With the strong support of the nation, we worked together with the participating enterprises to overcome difficulties, enabling each exhibiting enterprise to take root, blossom, and bear fruit in Nigeria! According to incomplete statistics, the 2024 Nigeria Lagos China Commodities Expo achieved an intended transaction volume of 82 million USD on-site, with many popular products signed on the spot. 2025, Embarking on a New Journey In nearly two decades of deeply cultivating Africa, we have witnessed the beautiful scenery and unique charm of the African continent, and even more strongly felt the African people's fervent aspiration and passionate pursuit of a better life. We have also jointly witnessed the transformation of Chinese enterprises in Africa from scratch to growth, from daily necessities to steel, aluminum, and mechanical equipment. The African market has demonstrated unprecedented investment potential and development opportunities. At this critical period in the development of China-Africa relations, Zhenghe Exhibition will actively combine our "first-mover advantage" with "African endowments," act as a bridge, and facilitate more "Made in China" products entering and becoming popular in Africa.