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Zero-tariff policies, systemic support help African countries expand exports, upgrade industry_我的网站

一 |     김경한 전 본부장 중도하차“공사 내 투자 의견조율 중요”                                      미국 정부의 대미 투자 이행 압박이 거세지는 가운데 3500억달러 규모의 대미 투자를 총괄하는 한미전략투자공사의 초대 전략투자본부장이 취임 두 달여만에 사임했다.정부가 다음달 중 대미 투자 1호 프로젝트를 발표할 예정인 상황에서 공사의 핵심 투자 책임자가 중도 하차하면서 배경에 관심이 쏠리다.26일 한미전략투자공사 등에 따르면 지난 6월 18일 임명된 김경한(사진) 전 전략투자본부장이 최근 사임했다.행정고시 38회인 김 전 본부장은 공직 입문 후 산업통상부(옛 산업통상자원부)에서 잠시 근무하다 외교부로 자리를 옮겼다. 외교부에서 국제경제국 심의관을 비롯해 주베트남·브라질·미국 시카고·인도 참사관 등을 지내며 국제경제와 통상 분야에서 경력을 쌓았다.이후 포스코로 이직해 포스코홀딩스 글로벌통상정책 부사장, 커뮤니케이션본부 부사장, 무역통상실장 등을 역임했다. 한미전략투자공사 출범 이후에는 외교부 몫으로 전략투자본부장에 임명됐다.전략투자본부장은 사실상 공사의 최고투자책임자(CIO)에 해당한다. 배터리·원전·조선·방산·인공지능(AI) 인프라·핵심광물 등 전략산업 분야에서 미국 내 투자처를 발굴하고, 미국 측 파트너와 협상하면서 국내 기업의 참여 구조를 설계하는 업무를 맡는다. 한미 간 전략투자 프로젝트를 발굴·구조화하고 정부 정책 목표와 재무적 타당성을 동시에 맞춰야 하는 중책인 셈이다.공사의 또 다른 핵심 축인 경영기획본부장에는 재정경제부(옛 기획재정부) 몫으로 강종석 전 기획재정부 경제안보공급망기획단 부단장이 임명됐다. 경영기획본부장은 공사의 경영기획 전반을 총괄한다.공사의 핵심 인사가 교체되는 가운데 정부는 다음달 대미 투자 1호 프로젝트를 최종 확정할 계획이다. 산업부는 다음달 중순께 첫 프로젝트를 발표한다는 방침이다. 앞서 김정관 산업부 장관은 지난 20일 취재진을 만나 “현실적으로 필요한 과정과 절차를 고려해 9월 중으로 발표하자는 데 양국 간에 이해가 있었다”며 “다음주도 미국 측과 화상 회의를 이어갈 것”이라고 설명했다.‘대한민국과 미합중국 간 전략적투자의 운영 및 관리를 위한 특별법’에 따르면 대미 투자 프로젝트는 먼저 산업부 산하 한미전략투자 사업관리위원회에서 상업성 등을 검증한다. 이후 한미전략투자공사 산하 운영위원회가 프로젝트를 검토하고, 마지막으로 국회 소관 상임위원회에 관련 내용을 공식 보고해야 투자를 확정할 수 있다.정부 한 관계자는 “행시 40회인 산업부 출신 박종원 사장과 대부분 외교부에서 근무한 행시 38회 본부장간 의견 차이가 있었을 가능성도 있다”면서 “공사가 산업부·외교부·재경부 등 여러 부처의 이해관계가 반영되는 구조인 만큼 투자 방향과 우선순위를 둘러싼 조율이 중요할 것”이라고 말했다.배문숙 기자。    

    An exhibitor showcases Ethiopian coffee beans at the 2026 Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, on August 9, 2026. Photo: VCG It has been three months since China becomes the first major economy to grant unilateral, comprehensive zero-tariff treatment to all African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, as well as all least developed countries having diplomatic ties with China. Effective May 1, China extended the favorable policy to 53 African countries. Two African diplomats stationed in China have shared with the Global Times about the benefits of China's policy, particularly in trade of coffee, as well as China's exemplary role in promoting cooperation among Global South countries.
    Aziza Geleta, Deputy Head of Mission of the Ethiopian Embassy in China Photo: Courtesy of the Ethiopian Embassy in China Aziza Geleta, Deputy Head of Mission of the Ethiopian Embassy in China, told the Global Times that the trade policy demonstrates China's commitment to strengthening mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Africa.
For Ethiopia, which is believed to be the birthplace of coffee, this initiative presents significant opportunities. 
"Coffee is not only our leading agricultural export but also an integral part of our cultural heritage. For centuries, Ethiopians have preserved a unique coffee tradition, where families and neighbors gather to prepare and share coffee in a ceremony that symbolizes hospitality and friendship in community," Geleta said. 
With improved market access, Ethiopian coffee exports to China are expected to grow substantially. China has become one of the world's fastest-growing coffee consumption markets and is now Ethiopia's third-largest coffee export destination, Geleta noted.
In 2025, China's coffee industry was valued at 354.9 billion yuan ($52.63 billion), up 13.3 percent year on year. Annual per capita consumption rose from 22.24 cups to 28.57 cups, while the value of coffee bean imports increased by 73.9 percent year on year, according to the 2026 China Urban Coffee Development Report released in July. 
The Ethiopian diplomat believes China's zero-tariff policy will enhance the competitiveness of Ethiopian coffee, increase export earnings, and encourage greater investment across the coffee value chain, including processing, packaging, branding, logistics and quality certification. 
Since July 20 this year, China has granted full market access to coffee beans meeting quarantine requirements from all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China. The full market access is regarded as a landmark achievement in China-Africa cooperation on agricultural market access.
Geleta said that Ethiopia warmly welcomes this landmark policy. Having joined China's zero-tariff arrangement in 2024, the East African country has already witnessed its positive impact on bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
"The policy goes beyond tariff preferences. It demonstrates a practical commitment to South-South cooperation based on mutual respect, shared development and win-win partnership," Geleta noted. 
It creates new opportunities for African countries to diversify exports, strengthen productive capacity and participate more actively in global value chains, the diplomat said. 
As members of the Global South, Ethiopia and China share a common vision of promoting inclusive and sustainable development. This zero-tariff initiative establishes a valuable benchmark for building agricultural trade rules that better reflect the development needs of emerging economies, she noted. 
It also complements the objectives of the FOCAC and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by supporting greater regional integration and international market access, said Geleta. AfCFTA is a flagship initiative of the African Union designed to transform the continent into the world's largest free-trade area, per the AU.
From Geleta's observation, the market access granted by China is not merely a trade policy, but also a practical example of development cooperation that benefits ordinary people.
Coffee farming sustains millions of Ethiopian households, so greater access to China's market bears direct significance for poverty alleviation, rural advancement and national economic transformation. The policies foster steady demand for Ethiopian coffee, increasing farmer's earnings and bolstering rural community resilience, she said. Such gains closely echo the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, which emphasizes poverty reduction, food security, inclusive growth and sustainable development. 
The diplomat said Ethiopia welcomes Chinese investment in agricultural processing, cold-chain logistics, food manufacturing and value-added industries in Ethiopia. Such investment will support industrialization, technology transfer and job creation while strengthening resilient supply chains, Geleta added. 
    Ambassador of Lesotho to China Mapaballo Lydia Mile Photo: Courtesy of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho in China Ambassador of Lesotho to China Mapaballo Lydia Mile told the Global Times that the zero-tariff policy since May is "a direct, tangible deliverable of the commitments made under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) framework. It transitions the rhetoric of 'win-win cooperation' into practical policy."
Mile said the policy provides a structured, phased approach to reducing trade difficulties and securing institutional guarantees. "It perfectly embodies the strong, historical foundations built through FOCAC over the years to forge a modernized, forward-looking economic future."
Amid comments saying that African countries still face challenges beyond tariffs, including logistics, standards and market-access capacity, Ambassador Mile of Lesotho said that tariff reduction is a necessary condition for trade expansion; however, more conditions are required to reach deals. 
Take Lesotho, a landlocked country, for instance. The country faces acute logistical hurdles and high transport costs. Complying with sanitary and phytosanitary measures, as well as quality standards remains a massive challenge for many enterprises in Lesotho. 
To fully benefit from the favorable tariff policy, Mile pointed to systemic technical support for African exporters, targeted investments in agro-processing, and enhanced trade facilitation. 
"Initiatives recently introduced by China Customs, such as the 'Green Channel 2.0' for agricultural products and expanding authorized economic operator mutual recognition capacity building, are exactly the types of institutional support needed to overcome the non-tariff barriers," she elaborated. 
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