The zero-tariff treatment China has granted to Madagascar, which took effect on Monday, will elevate the efficiency and handling of bilateral agricultural trade, while promoting more high-quality farm products to enter the Chinese market, a Chinese businessman in the African island country said.

The policy will offer more convenience for exporters and improve customs clearance, said Lun Yongkun, an executive vice president of the General Association of Chinese Merchants and Entrepreneurs in Madagascar, in a recent interview.

Chinese traders export commodities sourced from local farmers in Madagascar to China, such as peanuts, beans, pepper and other products, under established procedures, Lun said.

Lun noted that Chinese traders in the country will help promote the policy to local farmers and encourage them to expand planting areas and products, which will improve their incomes and lives. The move will bring more high-quality farm products from Madagascar to the Chinese market, diversify the domestic consumption pattern, and contribute to bilateral economic and trade exchanges, he said.

The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, China's cabinet, announced on December 6 that 98 percent of taxable products from Angola, The Gambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mali and Mauritania would be exempt from import tariffs starting on December 25.

The commission said that the move aims to embody the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and facilitate a high-quality China-Africa community with a shared future.

The tax exemption will bolster Madagascar's trade, especially in terms of diversifying its export categories, which will be conducive to advancing its development, Song Wei, a professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, said on Wednesday.

Song said that as more Chinese enterprises invest in Madagascar, they will play a vital role in driving its progress on industry chains.

In the first half of 2023, bilateral trade stood at $872 million, with China's exports reaching $736 million and imports standing at $136 million, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

By the end of last year, Chinese companies' direct investment in Madagascar totaled $280 million.

China has been Madagascar's largest trading partner and source of imports since 2015. China mainly exports textile raw materials, electric equipment and mechanical equipment, while importing mineral products and aquatic products, according to the MOFCOM.

Observers noted that the zero-tariff treatment that China granted for six least-developed African countries will promote trade while showing a demonstration effect for China's cooperation with other markets.