BEIJING, June 27 (Reuters) - China will exempt some goods imported from Serbia from tariffs and reduce the rate on others from July 1, the Chinese government said on Thursday, as a free trade agreement between the two countries is set to take effect.
Serbia will become the first European country in years to enter into a free trade deal with China as Beijing tussles with Brussels over the European Union's planned tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Serbia is not part of the EU.
Under the agreement, some Serbian imports, such as electric generators, electric motors, tires, beef, wine and nuts, will be exempt from tariffs, according to China's official Xinhua news agency.
The deal will "further stimulate the potential of bilateral trade and investment cooperation and promote the upgrading of bilateral economic and trade cooperation," the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, cabinet, said in a statement.
China's President Xi Jinping visited Serbia in May as part of his first European tour in five years in a bid to forge stronger relations with some European countries.
The two nations signed 29 agreements promoting legal, regulatory and economic cooperation. (Reporting by Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
