China has officially removed tariffs on all imports from Nigeria and 52 other African countries, marking a major shift in its trade policy and signaling deeper economic ties with the continent.
The announcement, made after a high-level meeting in Changsha, Hunan province, reflects China’s intention to position itself as Africa’s most reliable trade and investment partner. The move excludes only Eswatini, the sole African country maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Until now, China’s zero-tariff policy had primarily applied to the continent’s least-developed nations. However, President Xi Jinping has expanded the scope to include all African countries with formal diplomatic ties to Beijing, offering “zero-tariff treatment for 100 per cent of tariff lines.”
This policy upgrade builds on commitments from a previous China-Africa summit where 33 African countries were granted duty-free access. Now, more African nations, including economic powerhouses like Nigeria, will benefit.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that trade between China and Africa is already surging. In the first five months of the year, Chinese exports to Africa jumped by 12.4 percent, reaching 963 billion yuan (about \$134 billion), a record figure.
The announcement comes at a time when Africa’s trade relationship with the United States is under pressure. Recent US policies under former President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on several African countries—50 percent on Lesotho, 47 percent on Madagascar, 40 percent on Mauritius, 38 percent on Botswana, and 31 percent on South Africa. These actions have cast doubt over the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has given many African countries duty-free access to the US market for over two decades.
In contrast, China’s latest move is being interpreted as a demonstration of its long-term commitment to Africa. The joint China-Africa statement urged global powers, especially the United States, to resolve trade tensions through respectful dialogue.
For African exporters, including Nigerian MSMEs, the removal of Chinese tariffs presents a significant opportunity to enter and scale within the Chinese market. As global trade dynamics continue to shift, this development may redefine the future of Africa’s global trade alliances.
