The vast Chinese market is our new opportunity "(zero tariffs, promoting win-win)

The "15th Five Year Plan" proposal approved by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has made a special chapter deployment on "expanding high-level opening up to the outside world and creating a new situation of cooperation and win-win", demonstrating China's confidence and determination to adhere to open cooperation and mutual benefit. In recent years, China has actively expanded its independent opening-up, continued to share the opportunities of the Chinese market with the world, granted 100% tariff free treatment to the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, and is committed to providing more convenience for the least developed countries' exports to China. More and more high-quality products with zero tariff treatment are entering thousands of households in China, providing consumers with diversified choices and promoting the development of related industries and the improvement of people's livelihoods.

Uganda——

Coffee industry shares the dividends of China's development

Our reporter Zheng Xiang

In the coffee farm of Wakino town, located more than 20 kilometers northwest of the Ugandan capital Kampala, farmers carry rattan baskets through the misty mountains and forests in the morning, transporting the picked coffee fruits to the sun drying field. This is our best Robusta 18 mesh bean, which will soon be shipped to China, "said Deus Nuwagaba, Chief Operating Officer of the Uganda Coffee Farmers Organization, as he gently picked up a coffee bean with a smile.

Coffee is one of Uganda's main export commodities, with approximately 12 million people engaged in the coffee industry. Coffee exports account for about 20% of the country's foreign exchange earnings. In recent years, thanks to China's zero tariff policy and measures such as the "Green Channel" for exporting agricultural products to China, it has become more convenient for Ugandan coffee to enter the Chinese market, and the export scale continues to expand. Robusta coffee beans account for about 80% of Uganda's total coffee production, among which Robusta 18 mesh beans are specific specifications of coffee beans selected through sieve grading. They have large particles, high density, and rich oil content, and are highly favored by Chinese consumers.

In December 2022, China granted zero tariff treatment to 98% of tariff items originating from Uganda. Uganda's Minister of Trade and Industry, Mwebesa, stated that the zero tariff policy is a manifestation of China's responsibility as a major country and provides new opportunities for the development of African countries such as Uganda. Nuagaba believes that with China granting 100% tariff free treatment to all least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China, Ugandan coffee will enter more Chinese households and allow Ugandan farmers to share the dividends of China's development.

In the first half of this year, the Ugandan coffee farmers' organization exported 139.8 tons of coffee to China, a year-on-year increase of nearly 160% in export volume, which is an unprecedented breakthrough. "Nuagaba said that now every month, a batch of coffee products from the Ugandan coffee farmers' organization are shipped to China." We have replaced non degradable plastic packaging with packaging bags made of sisal, which not only avoids the impact of transportation on coffee taste, but also reflects our understanding and agreement with China's green development concept

Nuagaba has participated in exhibitions in China multiple times, and through in-depth face-to-face communication with Chinese consumers, continuously improves the quality of coffee based on their feedback. He introduced that the Uganda Coffee Farmers' Organization participated in the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo in 2023 and made an appearance at the CIIE in 2024. "In recent years, our exhibition experience in China has benefited us greatly, providing us with a valuable opportunity to travel with Chinese consumers in both directions. We have also been exposed to the latest development trends, advanced processing technologies, and marketing methods of the global coffee industry through exchanges with exhibitors from various countries. We hope to export more high-quality products to China and better meet the demand of Chinese consumers for premium coffee

Nepal——

Traditional incense has huge export potential to China

Our reporter Cheng Shijie

We are developing new products specifically for Chinese consumers. Prasad Danger runs a traditional incense production factory in Nepal. When he participated in the China South Asia Expo in June this year, he had extensive exchanges with many Chinese customers and gained a deeper understanding of the Chinese market. After returning to Nepal, Danger was determined to develop products that better met the needs of Chinese consumers.

Nepalese incense contains unique local culture and is made from cedar, saffron, sandalwood, and other materials. Currently, it is mainly sold in the local market, with significant market limitations and limited industrial development. With the increasing interest of Chinese consumers in healthy, natural, and culturally rich products, Nepalese incense has great potential for export to China. Currently, China has granted 100% tariff free treatment to Nepal, which is equivalent to the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China. The vast Chinese market is our new opportunity, "said Danger.

Danger's incense production factory focuses on preserving the traditional Nepalese incense production process, while providing different products for different consumers through customized products and packaging. I have found that the occasions in which Chinese customers use incense sticks are very different from those in Nepal. The traditional use of incense sticks in Nepal is outdoors, while Chinese customers use incense sticks more indoors for drinking tea, chatting, and other purposes. This requires incense sticks to have a more elegant scent and longer burning time, and different requirements for the mixing ratio of spices and adhesives. "Danger introduced that more and more Chinese customers are actively coming to learn about and purchase incense sticks, which has increased his and his colleagues' enthusiasm for product innovation and promotion work.

Previously, we promoted Nepalese incense products to international tourists, but now we use incense as a medium to introduce Nepal's natural and cultural scenery to Nepalese customers. Danger expressed the hope that more Chinese consumers will love traditional Nepalese incense and welcome more Chinese friends to travel to Nepal. In the future, he plans to continue to deeply cultivate the Chinese market and plan to export cashmere and traditional Nepalese handicrafts to China. I believe that when Nepal's unique traditional products meet the constantly opening China, it will bring infinite possibilities for cooperation between the two countries, "said Danger.

Rwanda——

Chili growers have more hope for the future

Our reporter Dai Kairan

Since Rwanda's dried chili peppers have enjoyed zero tariff treatment for exports to China, many chili planting enterprises have doubled their confidence and expanded their planting scale, hoping to seize the vast opportunities brought by the Chinese market, "said Dieudone Tuwahirva, general manager of the Gasora Farm in Rwanda." Every harvest season, there is a complete shortage of manpower, and we have to hire about 2000 workers to be responsible for chili picking, drying, packaging and other work

China began granting special preferential tariff treatment to some products from African least developed countries such as Rwanda in 2005. In recent years, as China continues to expand the range of countries and products that enjoy zero tariff treatment, dried chili peppers from Rwanda have also entered the Chinese market. In March 2021, China and Rwanda signed the "Protocol on Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Rwandan Dried Chili Imported to China", and Gasora Farm became one of the first Rwandan enterprises to export dried chili to China. In August of the same year, the first batch of 200 kilograms of dried chili peppers from Rwanda arrived in Hunan, making Rwanda the first African country to export dried chili peppers to China.

Tuwahirwa participated in the first CIIE with the Rwandan delegation in 2018, and many Chinese customers showed strong interest in Rwandan dried chili peppers at that time. In 2019, he went to Changsha, Hunan to participate in the first China Africa Economic and Trade Expo and conducted inspections in many parts of China. Rwandan dried chili peppers have good quality and high spiciness, making them excellent ingredients for making hot pot base and processing braised ingredients. They can meet the diversified and high-quality consumption needs of Chinese consumers, "said Tuwahirva. China's zero tariff policy has brought huge development opportunities to the Rwandan chili industry. To ensure supply to the Chinese market, Jiashaola Farm has signed contracts with over 1000 local chili growers for cooperation.

In 2024, Gashola Farm collaborated with Hunan Modern Agriculture International Development Co., Ltd. to launch the "Rwanda Hunan Pepper Industry Demonstration Project", covering 100 hectares of land and adopting a contract agriculture model that runs through the entire industry chain from seedling cultivation to export, promoting the modernization of Rwanda's pepper industry. With the support of Chinese partners, Jiashaola Farm has established a centralized seedling center and introduced modern pest control technologies, resulting in an increase in chili yield to 2.5 tons per hectare. In the first planting season after the project was implemented, Jiashaola Farm exported 200 tons of dried chili peppers to China. The continuous increase in the export volume of dried chili peppers has given growers more hope for the future. They have increased their income and their living conditions are getting better and better, "said Tuwahirwa." I heard that many Chinese hotpot seasoning companies have already used dried chili peppers from Rwanda. In the future, when you go to China to eat hotpot, you may be able to taste the taste from your hometown

Source: People's Daily