China has announced that its zero-tariff policy for African nations is already enhancing trade and may further accelerate Nigeria’s industrial development.
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, made the statement on Friday during a seminar titled ‘China’s Zero-Tariff Measures and Africa’s Economic Structural Transformation’ held in Abuja.
Ambassador Yu noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping declared on February 14 that starting May 1, 2026, China would implement zero-tariff treatment for all 53 African countries that maintain diplomatic relations with China.
Yu addressed stakeholders from diplomatic and governmental sectors who convened for a high-level seminar on “China’s Zero-Tariff Measures and Africa’s Economic Structural Transformation.”
The seminar underscored the first economic effects of China’s zero-tariff policy while emphasizing Nigeria’s strategic transition from exporting raw materials to fostering local manufacturing and industrial processing.
In his keynote address, Ambassador Yu revealed that trade between China and Africa reached an unprecedented $207 billion in the first half of 2026, following President Xi Jinping’s policy granting zero-tariff treatment to 53 African nations with diplomatic ties to Beijing.
Ambassador Yu further stated that Chinese imports from Africa amounted to $29 billion between May and June alone, reflecting a 24 percent increase year-on-year, with the tariff-free initiative contributing to an overall 6 percent rise in African exports to China.
Nigeria’s trade performance experienced notable growth, with total bilateral trade increasing by 35 percent year-on-year to $18 billion in the first half of 2026.
Chinese imports of Nigerian products increased by 80 percent, reaching $2.3 billion, due to the elimination of tariffs ranging from 3 percent to 10 percent on key product categories such as agricultural exports, cattle bone granules, and liquefied propane.
Ambassador Yu called on African partners to formalize Agreements on Economic Partnership for Shared Development with China to institutionalize trade preferences, emphasizing the importance of supply chain stability, standardized quality control, and local processing hubs.
In response, the Nigerian government, represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, through Permanent Secretary Ambassador Dunoma Ahmed, expressed appreciation for the duty-free market access.
However, the Minister underscored the necessity for Africa to enhance its domestic productive capacity to fully benefit from trade concessions.
The Minister aligned the national trade strategy with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that foreign investments should extend beyond mere raw material extraction to include the establishment of factories, technology transfer, and job creation within Nigeria.
She emphasized, “for Nigeria, the key issue is not just how much Africa can export to China, but what Africa will produce, the methods of production, and the extent of value retention within African economies. Our natural resources should serve as the foundation, not the conclusion, of economic activity.”
From an agricultural standpoint, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, remarked that while zero-tariff access presents new opportunities, the mere removal of tariffs cannot ensure economic success without modern processing facilities, efficient logistics, and sanitary certification.
Abdullahi also pointed out ongoing federal initiatives, including the Special Agro-Processing Zones, SAPZ, project, which is currently being developed across various states to transform comparative advantages in cassava, sesame, hibiscus, cashew, and livestock into high-value products.
Also speaking, Charles Onunaiju of the Centre for China Studies emphasized the strategic importance of China’s 100 percent tariff line exemption for Africa, calling on domestic businesses and young entrepreneurs to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, and regional processing networks to transform raw commodities into competitive industrial exports.
Zero-tariff: China-Africa trade reaches $207 billion in six months – Ambassador