China’s Zero-Tariff On African Products Increases Imports By $29bn In 3 Months

The China Zero-tariff Concessional market access for African products into the 1.4 billion huge Chinese market has increased imports by $29 billion within three months.

The tariff came into effect on May 1, 2026.

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai made this known on Friday in Abuja during a seminar organised by the Centre for China Studies with the support of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria with the theme “Zero-tariff Treatment for African Countries and its Implications for Structural Economic Transformation in Africa.”

According to Dunhai, the policy can generate more economic dividends and accelerate Africa’s transformation in the coming months and years, describing it as “a strategic milestone in building a high-level China –Africa community with a shared future and advancing our joint vision for modernization.

“Just three months after talking effect the policies are already visible. In the first half of 2026, China –Africa trade reached a historical height of 207 billion dollars. From May to June alone, Chinese imports from Africa reached 29 billion US dollars, which is 24% increase year-on-year. Estimates show that the zero tariff policy has posted overall exports to China by roughly over 6%,” he said.

He added that Nigeria’s performance has been especially striking, stressing that total bilateral trade with Nigeria reached 18 billion in the first half of the year. That’s a 35% increase as Chinese imports from Nigeria surged to 80% amounting to 2.3 billion dollars.

The envoy said however that despite all these advantages, African economies have long faced structural disadvantages, delayed industrialization, incomplete manufacturing system and infrastructure bottlenecks leaving the continent caught in resource abundance but economically dependent.

He advised African leaders to have a stable open access to international market, stressing that China remains committed to helping in addressing core development bottlenecks hindering Africa’s development as well as assist Africa reduce unprocessed commodities.

He described Nigeria as ‘a cornerstone for China on the African continent ,’ saying “our nations share deep political thought, robust economic ties and rich history of cooperation , Nigeria is positioned to be a primary beneficiary of this zero-tariff policy.”

He pointed at concrete results in three key areas, namely sharply reduced trading cost, expanded trade volumes, upgraded trade structure as well as empowering Nigeria’s industrial transformation and supporting local livelihoods as local businesses are leveraging the zero-tariff in processing to move up the value chain.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu –Ojukwu in her remarks said the zero -tariff policy is strategic to Africa’s future for the economic transformation of the continent.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary Ahmed Dunioma, the Minister said “this presents a significant opportunity for strengthening Africa-China economic relations and promoting greater integration of African economies into the global value chain. It calls for concerted efforts on what Africa can produce and how much value Africa can retain within the continent.”

He said further that “this is where the vision of President Bola Tinubu becomes particularly relevant, stressing that the President has consistently emphasized that Nigeria must move beyond an economic model that relies predominantly on export of unprocessed commodities to value addition.

“Nigeria welcomes investments but such investments must establish manufacturing capacity, develop industrial value chains and create jobs rather than merely extract and export our raw materials,” he added.

Director of the Centre for China Studies, Charles Onunaiju said China zero-tariff policy has significant impact not just for prosperity but for sustainable peace, adding that what China has offered is a very critical component of Chinese initiative on global governance reform, a key aspect of that emphasized that reform must deliver tangible results.

“Zero- tariff treatment for 100% lines of products coming from Africa to the world largest single integrated market is quite consequential for world peace and prosperity,” he said even as he advised African leaders to address the deep structural constraints within the continent for the policy to be more effective and efficient.

The seminar was also attended by the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Dauda Bage Muhammad 1 who sent a representative; Minister of Power and Director General of Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, Joseph Tegbe; Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi; House of Representatives Committee chair on Nigeria-China Parliamentary, Jaafaru Yakubu, among others.