{"id":378644,"date":"2026-08-14T23:11:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T23:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/378644\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T23:11:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T23:11:17","slug":"chinas-imports-from-nigeria-rose-by-2-3-billion-in-six-months-envoy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/378644\/","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s imports from Nigeria rose by $2.3 billion in six months: Envoy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, says China\u2019s imports from Nigeria rose by about 2.3 billion dollars in the first half of 2026, an increase of 80 per cent.<\/p>\n

Mr Yu disclosed this during an international seminar on \u201cChina\u2019s Zero-Tariff Measures and Africa\u2019s Economic Structural Transformation\u201d, organised by the Centre for China Studies (CCS) on Friday in Abuja.<\/p>\n

According to him, the surge followed the implementation of China\u2019s zero-tariff policy for African countries.<\/p>\n

The ambassador said Nigeria-China bilateral trade also reached 18 billion dollars within the same period, representing a 35 per cent year-on-year increase.<\/p>\n

He said the figures demonstrated the immediate impact of China\u2019s zero-tariff policy, which took effect on May 1 and covers all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China.<\/p>\n

\u201cChinese imports from Nigeria surged 80 per cent to 2.3 billion dollars, with monthly growth exceeding 40 per cent in both May and June,\u201d Yu said.<\/p>\n

According to him, the policy has already contributed to an estimated six per cent increase in overall African exports to China.<\/p>\n

He said China-Africa trade reached a historic 207 billion dollars in the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n

According to him, Chinese imports from Africa rose to 29 billion dollars in May and June alone, representing a 24 per cent year-on-year increase.<\/p>\n

Mr Yu said the policy had reduced trading costs for Nigerian exporters, citing savings recorded on commodities such as sesame, cattle bone granules and liquefied propane.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery 100 tons of sesame exported saves 11,000 dollars in costs, while Nigeria\u2019s annual export of 7,000 tons of cattle bone granules saves nearly 450,000 dollars,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that a single shipment of 23,000 tons of Nigerian liquefied propane attracted about 300,000 dollars in tax savings under the policy.<\/p>\n

The envoy, however, noted that the removal of tariffs alone would not guarantee Nigeria\u2019s economic transformation.<\/p>\n

According to him, there is a need for improved product quality, reliable supply chains and local processing.<\/p>\n

He urged Nigerian businesses to increase investment in value addition and meet Chinese market standards to sustain access to the country\u2019s 1.4 billion consumers.<\/p>\n

Mr Yu also called for stronger trade and investment cooperation, including industrial parks, technology transfer and training, saying China was ready to support Nigeria\u2019s efforts to process raw materials locally.<\/p>\n

\u201cChina aims to accelerate negotiations on trade facilitation, investment protection and quarantine standards to offer a stable institutional environment for investors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He urged Nigerian exporters and small businesses to take advantage of platforms such as the China International Import Expo, Canton Fair and China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo to connect directly with Chinese buyers.<\/p>\n

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, said the zero-tariff policy was an opportunity to transform Nigeria from an exporter of raw materials into a producer of value-added goods.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe objective should be to ensure that a greater proportion of the value generated from Africa\u2019s resources remain within Africa,\u201d the minister, represented by the ministry\u2019s permanent secretary, Dunoma Ahmed, said.<\/p>\n

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said Nigeria must focus on exporting rather than merely exporting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe question before us is not, can Nigeria export more? The question should be, can Nigeria export better?\u201d Mr Abdullahi said.<\/p>\n

He identified processed cassava, premium rice, spices, hibiscus, cashew products, soybean products, fruits and vegetables as areas with significant export potential.<\/p>\n

Abdullahi also said that Nigeria must complement tariff-free access with modern processing industries, efficient logistics, quality assurance, traceability, storage infrastructure and export certification.<\/p>\n

The director of the centre, Charles Onunaiju, said the seminar was designed to move discussions on China\u2019s zero-tariff policy from policy announcements to practical implementation.<\/p>\n

He said the policy represented an opportunity for Africa to address structural economic challenges, but warned that African countries must develop strategies to fully exploit market access.<\/p>\n

Mr Onunaiju said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could play a critical role by harmonising standards, strengthening regional value chains and creating economies of scale for African exporters.<\/p>\n

He said the seminar\u2019s objective was to bring together critical stakeholders to identify practical solutions to challenges that could prevent African businesses from benefiting fully from the Chinese market.<\/p>\n

Mr Onunaiju urged African countries to treat the zero-tariff policy as \u201ca starting point\u201d for deeper industrialisation rather than an end in itself.<\/p>\n

The seminar brought together government officials, farmers, manufacturers, exporters, traders and other stakeholders to examine how African economies could maximise the new market access.<\/p>\n

\u00a0(NAN)<\/p>\n


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