Nigeria's Exports to China Drop by N602bn in Q2 2026

In the second quarter of 2026, Nigeria's merchandise exports to China decreased by N601.82bn, a decline of 54.30 percent, dropping from N1.108tn to N506.57bn. This decline occurred despite China granting Nigerian products zero-tariff access to its market starting from May 1, 2026.

Concurrently, Nigeria's imports from China rose by N955.58bn, or 19.26 percent, increasing from N4.96tn to N5.92tn. As a result, Nigeria's merchandise trade deficit with China widened by N1.56tn, or 40.43 percent, from N3.85tn in Q2 2025 to N5.41tn in Q2 2026.

The analysis of the National Bureau of Statistics' trade statistics revealed that Nigeria continued to import significantly more goods from China than it exported, with a ratio of approximately N11.68 worth of imports for every N1 worth of exports. China's share of Nigeria's total exports also fell from 4.87 percent to 1.87 percent, indicating a reduced contribution to Nigeria's export earnings despite an overall increase in Nigeria's exports.