Nigeria’s merchandise exports to China fell by N601.82bn in the second quarter of 2026, despite Beijing’s decision to grant Nigerian products zero-tariff access to its market from 1 May, worsening the trade imbalance between the two countries.
An analysis of the National Bureau of Statistics’ foreign trade reports for Q2 of 2025 and 2026 showed that Nigeria’s exports to China declined by 54.30 per cent, from N1.108tn to N506.57bn.
The decline occurred even as Nigeria’s imports from China increased by N955.58bn, or 19.26 per cent, from N4.96tn to N5.92tn during the same period.
Consequently, Nigeria’s merchandise trade deficit with China widened by N1.56tn, or 40.43 per cent, from N3.85tn in Q2 of 2025 to N5.41tn in the corresponding period of 2026.