The Ministry of Commerce announced Monday that China has offered tariff exemption for certain commodities from 25 least-developed African countries.

The policy has taken effect as of Jan. 1, 2005, and covers 190 tax items, said the ministry's spokesman Chong Quan in a press release.

The 25 African countries are Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, The Comoros, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger,Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.

Chong said the policy was originally announced by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the second ministerial meeting of the China-African Cooperaiton Forum held at the end of 2003. "This is an important committement that China, as a developing country, made to help African countries to develop their economies."

"I believe the trade cooperation between China and Africa will score new growth through our joint efforts," he said.