Monday, December 7, 2015

Tanzania among top China trading partners

ABDUEL ELINAZA in Johannesburg, South Africa
TANZANIA is among top exporters to China in East African bloc and features on top ten standings in Africa. China Ministry of Commerce report issued during the wrapping up of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, shows Tanzania and Kenya are only countries in EAC on top ten.

The data released in Johannesburg, South Africa show the percentage of total export volume to China from Tanzania was 0.47 per cent while Kenya 0.08 per cent.
Africa total exports to China were slightly over 100 million US dollars and South Africa is leading the lot by controlling a lion share of 48 per cent. South Africa is followed by Angola that controls 34 per cent of total Africa exports to China in 2014.
On position three is republic of Congo with 6.0 per cent. The number four is South Sudan with 5.0 per cent and like Angola they mainly export oil to China.
Nigeria, despite being the continent’s biggest economy exported 3.0 per cent. It ranks number five. Ghana is on sixth position. Algeria and Egypt are controlling one per cent each, then comes Tanzania and the last in the list is Kenya.
On other hand while Tanzania exports merely 0.5 per cent it imports good and services of 5.0 per cent to create an imbalance in favour of China of 4.5 per cent. In the first half of this year, trade volume between Tanzania and China had reached 2.31 billion US dollars (over 4.6tri/-) in favour of Beijing.
The level is slightly over the total amount reached last year of 4.32 billion US (8.6tri/-), an amount which China said is not enough.
The Chinese Embassy, Chief Economic and Commercial Representative, Mr Lin Zhiyong, said though the amount seemed huge, it was still too small. “I say it’s small... and we can do more than that,” Mr Lin said.
The amount of trading of Sino-Tanzania is fractional of the amount traded for China- Africa of 220 million US dollars last year. The economist said though the trade increased but it is in favour of China and does not please Beijing hence his country pays high attention on promoting balanced trade.
The Chinese ministry of commerce report shows that Tanzania, Ghana, Benin all import 5.0 per cent of goods from China to be ranked at last but one position of list of 10.
Morocco is at bottom with 4.0 per cent. The list is topped by Nigeria and South Africa both controlling 21 per cent of total imports of African countries from China in 2014.
Kenya, Angola, Algeria and Egypt imports from China share were 7.0 per cent, 8.0 per cent, 10 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. To cut the import-export deficit China trumpeting of industrialized Africa that way it manufacturing domestic and exports goods.
Tanzania was in the fourth position of total foreign direct investments (FDIs) to Africa after attracting 171 companies from China up to the end of 2014. In EAC it leads followed by Kenya with 132 firms. In Africa Kenya was on position seven.
In Africa Nigeria leads after attracting 334 companies, the South Africa 229 companies, and Zambia 213 entities from China. Ethiopia with 167 firms on postion five while Ghana (152) was on position six, Angola (131) on slot eight, Egypt (125) position nine and DR Cngo (112) the last on top ten.
China said it pays high attention to promote balanced development of China-Africa trade and has taken number of effective measures.
Those measures include unilateral zero-tariff treatment to 97 per cent of products from Africa, and adding value of Africa agro-produce. In the first ten months of 2015 China’s FDIs to Africa reached 95.2 billion US dollars and is expected to surpass 100 billion US dollar mark.

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