Business
Chinese imports from Nigeria jump 81% to $2.25bn after zero-tariff policy
By Efe Onodjae
Chinese imports from Nigeria surged by 81 per cent year-on-year, YoY to $2.25 billion in the first half of 2026, following China’s implementation of a zero-tariff policy on products from 53 African countries, including Nigeria.
The Consul General of China in Lagos, Yan Yuqing, disclosed this at the 2026 Nigeria International New Energy and Power Industry Expo and Nigeria International Lighting Expo Lunch Conference, saying the policy was already producing visible results barely three and a half months after its implementation.
According to her, total bilateral trade between China and Nigeria reached $17.4 billion in the first six months of 2026, representing a 35 per cent increase compared with the corresponding period of 2025.
She said: “Chinese imports from Nigeria accounted for $2.25 billion of the trade, rising by 81 per cent year-on-year, with monthly growth exceeding 40 per cent in both May and June.”
Yan said the figures demonstrated the potential of the zero-tariff policy to expand market access for Nigerian products and further strengthen economic ties between both countries.
China fully implemented the zero-tariff policy on May 1, covering all tariff lines for products from 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. The measure, according to the Consul GeAneral, is part of China’s broader effort to deepen economic cooperation with Africa and advance the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan for 2025–2027.
She noted that the policy came at the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period and was designed to inject fresh momentum into the shared pursuit of modernisation between China and African countries.
The Consul General also highlighted the broader expansion in China-Nigeria economic relations. She said bilateral trade exceeded $28 billion in 2025, representing growth of more than 28 per cent, YoY while China’s direct investment in Nigeria reached $690 million, an increase of 103 per cent over the previous year.
Yan described Nigeria as China’s largest engineering contracting market in Africa, its second-largest export market on the continent and a major investment destination.
“Nigeria is also China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa,” she said.
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