Nigeria-China trade rose by 35 per cent to $18 billion in the first half of 2026, following the implementation of China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has said.
Dunhai disclosed this at a one-day international seminar on “China’s Zero Tariff Treatment for African Countries and its Implications for Structural Economic Transformation in Africa,” organised by the Centre for China Studies in Abuja.
He said the development reflected the immediate impact of the policy, which took effect on May 1, 2026, adding that Chinese imports from Nigeria surged by 80 per cent to $2.3 billion during the period.
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According to him, monthly growth in Nigerian exports to China exceeded 40 per cent in both May and June, while China-Africa trade reached a record $207 billion in the first half of the year.
He said Chinese imports from Africa stood at $29 billion between May and June, representing a 24 per cent year-on-year increase, while the zero-tariff policy had boosted overall African exports to China by about six per cent.
Dunhai said the policy, announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 14, 2026, granted zero-tariff treatment to all tariff lines for African countries with diplomatic relations with China.
He described the initiative as a strategic milestone in China-Africa relations, saying it was designed to promote economic development, industrialisation and mutually beneficial cooperation.
For Nigeria, he said the policy had already translated into concrete savings for exporters, citing sesame, cattle bone granules and liquefied propane among products benefiting from the tariff concessions.
“Every hundred tons of sesame exports saves $11,000 in…
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