China-African trade hit a record $207 billion in the first half of 2026, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has said.

Yu disclosed this on Friday at the seminar on “China’s Zero-Tariff Measures and Africa’s Economic Structural Transformation” held at the Yar’Adua Conference Centre, Abuja.

Top government officials attended the event, including ministers, the ECOWAS Commission, and several members of the diplomatic community in Abuja.

The ambassador said Chinese imports from Africa reached $29 billion between May and June 2026, a 24 per cent year-on-year increase, while estimates indicated that the zero-tariff measure had increased overall African exports to China by about six per cent.

“In the first half of 2026, China-Africa trade hit a historic high of $207 billion. From May to June alone, Chinese imports from Africa reached $29 billion—a 24% year-on-year increase. Estimates show that the zero-tariff policy has boosted overall African exports to China by roughly 6%. Nigeria’s performance has been especially striking: total bilateral trade reached $18 billion in the first half of the year, up 35% year-on-year,” he said. 

He said Nigeria had recorded particularly strong growth since the policy took effect on May 1, following an announcement by Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 14 that China would grant zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations.

According to Yu, bilateral trade between Nigeria and China reached $18 billion in the first half of 2026, a 35 per cent year-on-year increase, while Chinese imports from Nigeria rose by 80 per cent to $2.3 billion.

He added that monthly growth in Nigerian exports to China exceeded 40 per cent in both May and June.

“African economies have long faced structural disadvantages—delayed industrialisation, incomplete manufacturing systems, and infrastructure bottlenecks—leaving many caught in a cycle of resource abundance alongside economic lag,” he said.

The ambassador said Africa needs stable, open access to international markets to support long-term economic recovery and structural transformation.

He explained that the zero-tariff initiative was designed not only to increase the volume of African exports to China but also to help African countries move away from dependence on unprocessed commodities.

According to him, the measure, combined with China's "GreenChannel 2.0" for agricultural products, would lower export costs,address market-access challenges and enable more Africanproducts to reach China's 1.4 billion consumers.

Yu described Nigeria as a cornerstone of China's engagement withAfrica, citing the country's population, economic size and strategic importance. 

He said the immediate benefits of the zero-tariff policy in Nigeria were already evident in reduced trading costs, increased export volumes and growing investment in local processing.

He cited tariff reductions of between three and 10 per cent on key Nigerian exports.

According to him, every 100 tonnes of sesame exported to China could save Nigerian exporters approximately $11,000, while Nigeria’s annual export of 7,000 tonnes of cattle bone granules could generate nearly $450,000 in savings. 

He also disclosed that a single shipment of 23,000 tonnes of Nigerian liquefied propane generated about $300,000 in tax savings on the first day of the policy.

Yu said the policy was also helping to increase the volume of Nigerianspeciality products entering China, with zero-tariff shipments beingcleared at Chinese ports on a daily basis.

At the same time, he said Chinese exports of solar equipment andpower infrastructure were supporting Nigeria's efforts to address itsenergy deficit and strengthen its industrial base.

He said the development could gradually produce a more balanced and diversified trading relationship between both countries.

Yu also called for the establishment of a formal Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Development between China and African countries to ensure the benefits of the zero-tariff policy are more sustainable.

He disclosed that 38 African countries had signed framework agreements with China to advance early-harvest negotiations.

China, he said, was prepared to conclude similar arrangements with additional partners, including Nigeria, to transform preferential market access into long-term institutional guarantees. 

He outlined four priorities to maximise the initiative's impact:improving product quality and supply-chain reliability; expandinglocal processing; linking trade with long-term investment andstronger institutional frameworks; and increasing awareness amongbusinesses of opportunities in the Chinese market.

He encouraged Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises toparticipate in major Chinese trade platforms, including the ChinaInternational Import Expo, Canton Fair and China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo.

Despite the gains, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, who represented theMinister of Foreign Affairs, said Nigeria must fundamentally change itsapproach to exports if it is to maximise the opportunity in the Chinese market.

Ahmed said the zero-tariff policy should not be treated merely as a trade concession but as an opportunity to deepen industrial cooperation, technology transfer, skills development and investment.

He called for a shift from exporting raw commodities to exporting value-added products.

“Crude oil should support petrochemical and downstream industries; agricultural commodities should feed agro-processing and manufacturing; solid minerals should stimulate mineral processing and industrial production; and our abundant human capital should be integrated into technology, innovation, and knowledge-based industries,” he said.