South-South ties hold key amid tariffs

Market diversification urged to create opportunities and deepen collaboration.

- By NDUMISO MLILO for China Daily

South-South trade ties could offer relief to many countries grappling with the United States-imposed tariffs, South African officials and business leaders say.

Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter, South Africa's ambassador to the World Trade Organization, said some countries are struggling to accept the shift from a uni-polar to multipolar world and that some countries in the Global North are disregarding the very trade rules they once crafted and championed.

"I can say without doubt that South-South cooperation can succeed depending on how we structure the relations for mutual benefit," Mlumbi-Peter said.

"It is important to enhance relations because what we see with tariffs offers opportunities to strengthen relations between countries of the South. We should change the structure of the relations to promote investment that strengthens our capacity to create jobs and grow the economy."

Collaboration among Global South countries should be complementary, boost production and promote technology transfer, she said.

China has introduced a zero-tariff policy, granting duty-free access to 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, she said.

South Africa is in talks with China to take advantage of the zero tariffs and to expand the sale of local products to China.