China’s zero tariff policy for African products has opened a major opportunity for the continent to expand exports, but experts and policymakers have warned that the opportunity will mean little unless countries such as Nigeria address weak production capacity, poor logistics, inadequate standards and limited value addition.
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The warning was made on Wednesday at a seminar on China’s zero tariff treatment on 100 percent of tariff lines for African countries and its implications for structural economic transformation in Africa, hosted by the Centre for China Studies in conjunction with the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos.
The policy, which took effect on May 1, covers products from 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China.
Yan Yuqing, consul general of China in Lagos, said the policy was already creating opportunities for African exporters, with China Africa trade reaching $207.4 billion in the first half of 2026.
