Ethiopian coffee exporters are set to see greater access to the world's second-largest economy following the announcement of China's zero-tariff treatment for nearly all goods from the country.
The announcement was made in June during the China-Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. It marks the expansion of a zero-tariff policy rolled out last year for the 33 least developed African nations to now include 20 additional countries from the continent.
Tracon Trading is one of Ethiopia's leading coffee exporters. For years, they've been shipping specialty beans across the globe. But China's move to lift tariffs has opened an even bigger door.
"It will make our coffee very competitive in China's market. If you think about it, let's say, Brazil coffee or Colombia coffee, which are the main competitors for our coffee, their duty in China is above eight percent. So Ethiopia [tariff] is coming to zero, it will make our coffee very competitive and to sell more volume of coffee in China's market because it's affordable to our clients, it's affordable to the consumers. Due to that, Ethiopia coffee is one of the famous brands [of] coffee all over China nowadays. So it's really, really good news what the (Chinese) government has done for us," said Seid Omer, Managing Director of Tracon Trading.
For years, Ethiopian coffee has been prized globally for its unique aroma and heritage, but stiff tariffs often slowed its momentum in Asian markets.
Now, Chinese demand for Ethiopian coffee is soaring, and with Latin American coffee prices on the rise, traders in Beijing and Shanghai are turning toward Africa's original bean.
"Coffee from Brazil and Colombia has been rising in price rapidly. But we Chinese all know that Ethiopia is the origin of coffee. Combined with the strong and friendly relationship between China and Ethiopia, in the coming year, many Chinese coffee factories and traders are expected to purchase large quantities of coffee from Ethiopia," said a Chinese coffee trader named Wang Jinfeng.
Behind this open trade policy is a broader strategic alignment. As Ethiopia joins BRICS, its government sees the tariff exemption not only as economic relief but as an opening to build sustainable, long-term access to key markets like China.
"With China's high market demand, especially for agricultural products like oil crops, previous trade restrictions are gradually being lifted. Through this zero-tariff agreement, we aim to secure long-term, sustainable access to the Chinese market. Our focus will be on strengthening trade relations with China and building a reliable export pathway," said Tsadik Tasew, a trade relations expert at the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration.
Ethiopia's coffee ready to take bigger market in China thanks to zero tariff treatment
Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya's consistent provocations on Taiwan-related issues have severely violated the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, and China's countermeasures is a just act against the "new militarism" ideology, a scholar on China-Japan relations said in Beijing on Tuesday.
China on Monday announced countermeasures against Keiji Furuya, member of Japan's House of Representatives, for his collusion with Taiwan secessionist forces and other egregious moves, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. The punitive countermeasures against Furuya are a means of deterrence and warning, and China will also take other necessary punitive measures in light of the situation, according to Mao.
Furuya has made a number of sneaky visits to China's Taiwan region, and at a forum there on March 16, he provocatively declared "Japan's determination to protect Taiwan" and even claimed that "changes in Taiwan cannot be allowed to happen."
In an interview with China Central Television on Tuesday, Meng Xiaoxu, a research fellow at the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Furuya's moves are a direct challenge to established diplomatic norms.
"The speech he made in Taiwan was actually to defend [Japanese Prime Minister Sanae] Takaichi's erroneous remarks concerning Taiwan. He also mentioned the issue of so-called 'military exchanges' between Japan and Taiwan, which apparently goes against the basic consensus on the one-China principle in China-Japan relations," said Meng.
Furuya has served as the chairman of the Japanese Diet Members' Consultative Council with Taiwan since 2018, an organization known for its strong pro-Taiwan secession leanings.
"This council was actually an organization set up in 1973 by some pro-Taiwan elements in Japan after the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations in 1972. Its main purpose was to maintain contact with Taiwan secessionists through alternative channels. Especially after Keiji Furuya became its chairman, the frequency and scale of the organization's visits to Taiwan have exceeded historical levels," said Meng.
Furuya is widely regarded as one of Sanae Takaichi's core aides. Last October, he was appointed chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Election Strategy Committee, responsible for election strategy affairs. Throughout his political career, Furuya has also repeatedly visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A World War II criminals.
"Keiji Furuya frequently visits the Yasukuni Shrine, and when he visits the Yasukuni Shrine, he never forgets to mention the Taiwan issue. In fact, he is Takaichi's spokesperson and major promoter on the Taiwan issue. He represents Japan's far-right-wing forces, the idea of 'using Taiwan to contain China' is deeply rooted in his mind. We indeed should take resolute measures to counter it. A major reason for the current downturn in China-Japan relations is Takaichi's erroneous remarks concerning Taiwan, and Japan's current collusion with Taiwan, who not only collude but also make provocations. It is Japan that has deviated from the political foundation of China-Japan relations and continuously provoked China's national interests. The historical revisionism led by the Japanese government is getting rampant throughout the country, leading to the current prevalence of 'new militarism' ideology, which is very dangerous," said Meng.
Chinese scholar justifies countermeasures against Japanese lawmaker
Chinese scholar justifies countermeasures against Japanese lawmaker
