South Africa said on Friday that its trade minister had signed a framework economic partnership agreement on a visit to China, which it described as a step towards securing duty-free access to the Chinese market for South African exports.

Africa's biggest economy is seeking to boost exports amid a tariff row with the United States, its second-largest bilateral trading partner after China.

US President Donald Trump imposed a 30% tariff on South African exports to the U.S. in August, the highest rate in Sub-Saharan Africa.

South Africa's trade ministry said in a statement that Minister Parks Tau and his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao had signed a "Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Prosperity".

The agreement will be followed by an "Early Harvest Agreement" by the end of March 2026, which will then see China provide duty-free access to South African exports, the statement added.

China said last June, after Trump had started announcing tariffs on countries around the world, that it would eliminate all tariffs applied to the 53 African states with which it has diplomatic relations.

East Africa's biggest economy Kenya announced a preliminary trade deal with China last month.

Deepening trade ties between South Africa and China would create opportunities for South African businesses seeking to enter the Chinese market, particularly in sectors like mining and agriculture, South Africa's trade ministry said.

"We will negotiate with a view to create the necessary safeguards built into the agreement so as to protect South Africa's industrial capacity," Tau said.

China has invited South Africa to an event to promote investment opportunities in South Africa's steel industry.

"We look forward to attracting even more Chinese investment into South Africa, and also introducing many South African products into the Chinese market," Tau said.