China pledges deeper economic cooperation with Cameroon in key Sectors
China is set to significantly expand its economic partnership with Cameroon, focusing on infrastructure, energy, and agriculture, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao announced Tuesday. Speaking during a high-level meeting with his Cameroonian counterpart in the capital, Yaoundé, Wang emphasized Beijing’s commitment to “deepening practical cooperation” and helping the Central African nation modernize its economy. The talks were held on the sidelines of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which Cameroon is hosting this week. The visit underscores China’s role as Cameroon’s largest trading partner and a primary source of foreign investment. The discussions highlighted several priority areas for the coming years: Wang noted that China is ready to align its development strategies with Cameroon’s National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (SND30), which aims to transform the country into an emerging economy. The meeting follows a 2025 framework agreement designed to grant Cameroonian goods duty-free access to Chinese markets. While China remains the top supplier of machinery and telecommunications to Cameroon, both nations expressed a desire to rebalance trade by increasing Cameroonian exports of agricultural and processed goods. Cameroonian officials welcomed the pledge, noting that Chinese investment has been instrumental in the country’s recent industrialization efforts. “China’s win-win approach helps rebuild essential transport and energy infrastructure without the political conditionalities often seen elsewhere,” a ministry spokesperson stated. The two nations are currently preparing for the 55th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2026. As part of this milestone, Cameroon is expected to send a delegation of over 500 businesses to the upcoming Canton Fair in China to source industrial machinery and secure new technical partnerships.
South Africa slaps massive anti-dumping duties on steel from China and Thailand
South Africa has imposed aggressive new import duties of up to 75% on structural steel from China and Thailand, moving to protect its embattled domestic industry from what it describes as a predatory surge of “dumped” foreign products. The new rates represent a significant escalation from the provisional duties introduced in late 2024. China Imports now face a definitive duty of 74.98%, a sharp jump from the previous 52.81%. Thailand: Imports are now subject to a 20.32% duty, more than double the earlier 9.12% provisional rate. The definitive anti-dumping duties, approved by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, took effect on Thursday. The measures follow a final determination by the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) that steel from these nations was being sold in the local market at prices below production costs, causing “material injury” to South African manufacturers. The duties apply to various U, I, and H sections of iron or non-alloy steel, primarily used in large-scale construction, mining, and infrastructure projects. The investigation was triggered by an application from ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), the country’s only primary producer of these specific steel sections. AMSA has warned for years that a flood of cheap imports—which surged nearly 19-fold from China and Thailand in the 2023/24 financial year—made it impossible for local mills to remain viable. “The commission found that the SACU [Southern African Customs Union] industry is experiencing material injury,” ITAC stated in its final report, citing suppressed prices, declining sales volumes, and the erosion of local market share as key factors. China currently accounts for roughly 73% of all steel imports into South Africa. Local industry experts note that as traditional markets in Europe and North America have tightened their trade barriers against Chinese overcapacity, excess supply has been diverted to more open markets like South Africa The steel sector is a pillar of South Africa’s industrial economy, but it has been crippled recently by high energy costs, logistical bottlenecks at state-owned Transnet, and weak domestic demand. Last year, the industry faced a crisis as plant closures put approximately 3,500 jobs at risk. The new duties are scheduled to remain in place for five years, though they will be subject to a “sunset review” before they expire in 2031.
