As of early 2024, China has signed and implemented 16 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Additionally, around 8 to 10 FTAs are currently under negotiation, and several others are in the feasibility study stage.
If all formal agreement types are included—such as regional agreements, upgraded versions, and CEPA arrangements with Hong Kong and Macau—China has established FTA relationships with 29 countries and regions.
Currently, China is negotiating FTAs with countries and regions such as Israel, Norway, Panama, Sri Lanka, Honduras, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). At the same time, feasibility studies are being conducted for potential FTAs with Colombia, Canada, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Nepal.
Summary:
China has 16 FTAs signed and in force.
These agreements cover 29 countries and regions.
About 8 to 10 FTAs are under negotiation.
Another 7 to 8 are under feasibility study.
China has built one of the world's largest networks of free trade agreements, having concluded FTAs with more than twenty trading partners across Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and Europe. These agreements reduce or eliminate tariffs, simplify customs procedures, and improve market access for goods ranging from consumer products to industrial equipment such as heat exchangers and air-conditioning components.
For manufacturers and exporters of air-to-air heat exchangers, these agreements matter directly. An FTA can lower the import duty a buyer pays on a Chinese core or unit, making the offer more competitive against local or third-country suppliers. Understanding which agreement applies to a target market is therefore part of practical export planning, not just trade trivia.
The landscape keeps changing as new agreements are negotiated and existing ones deepen. Exporters should track the specific rules of origin for their products, because qualifying for preferential tariff treatment usually requires meeting local-content or processing thresholds documented with the right certificate. A missed certificate can mean paying the standard rate and losing the price advantage.
For international buyers, an FTA-aware Chinese supplier can help structure shipments to capture the benefit, for example by confirming the correct HS classification and origin documentation before the goods leave the port. cncsp.com encourages buyers to raise tariff and origin questions early in sourcing discussions, so the landed cost is clear before commitment. In a competitive equipment market, that clarity can be the difference between winning and losing a project.