South Africa became the latest African country to formalize a landmark Framework Agreement with China, securing zero-tariff treatment for all its exports as Beijing expands its trade network across the African continent.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China last week produced a package of economic and political agreements designed to expand UK market access in China, with a primary focus on the services sector.

Last week, the U.S. Commerce Department announced a deal with Taiwan related to trade and investment, giving Taiwan partial relief from the U.S. "reciprocal" and other tariffs in exchange for Taiwanese investment commitments in the U.S. semiconductor industry.

In parallel moves this week, the Trump administration established rules for the authorization of the export sale of certain advanced chips to China, and also set a tariff that serves as an indirect way to collect revenue on those sales.

China has overhauled its tariff structure for the new year, lowering tariff rates temporarily for 935 tariff items. The target of this move is high-tech components, green materials and medical goods, as China looks to upgrade its industrial base and support its climate and public health goals.

Mexico's Congress has approved a proposal to raise tariffs for more than 1,400 products from China and other trading partners that do not have a trade agreement with the country. This action has drawn criticism from Beijing, which has an ongoing investigation on the tariffs.

Earlier this month, China and the Republic of the Congo signed an early harvest agreement on trade, granting tariff-free treatment to goods from the African country.