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China Turns To Nigeria, Other Emerging Economies As US Markets Freeze
This illustration photograph shows a screen displaying a stock market index graphs and the word “Tariffs” written in the colours of the US flag, in Paris on April 4, 2025. Markets extended a global selloff on April 4, 2025 as countries around the world reeled from US President’s trade war, but the White House insisted the American economy will emerge victorious. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)
Product manufacturers in China have turned their attention to Nigeria and other emerging markets following the imposition of trade tariffs on their products by the US President, Donald Trump.
Trump, on April 2, slapped a 46% tariff on Vietnam and a 17% levy on the Philippines before paring those back to 10% for the next three months as he begins bilateral negotiations on trade with about 75 different countries.
Manufacturers say that after Washington raised tariffs on Chinese goods by 145%, U.S. orders for products have vanished.
“It’s a matter of life and death because 60-70% of our business is with American clients,” marketing manager of Conmo Electronic Co, Candice Li SAID in a survey obtained by Channels Television on Tuesday, adding,g “Goods cannot be exported and money cannot be collected. This is very severe.”
Most exporters Reuters spoke with said U.S. orders have either been delayed or stopped coming – a bad sign for the world’s second-largest economy, whose growth last year relied heavily on running a trillion-dollar trade surplus.
Kobe Huang, sales representative at Shenzhen Landun Environmental Technology, which makes water filters and smart toilets, says that for now, European sales are up, but the U.S. market is “frozen.”
U.S. customers and distributors haven’t cancelled orders, he said. “They have asked us to hold on. We are holding on.”
No other country comes close to matching China’s sales of more than $400 billion in goods to the U.S. each year.
And while Trump’s tariffs on the rest of the world are much lower, they are likely to curb global demand in coming months – and implicitly, the appetite for Chinese goods in other countries.
Despite the tariffs on China, exports from China to other countries, including to Nigeria, have surged.
A poll by AFP said China is expected to post first-quarter growth of around five percent on Wednesday, buoyed by exports.
Analysts polled by AFP forecast the world’s number two economy to have grown 5.1 percent from January to March.
Figures released Monday showed Beijing’s exports soared more than 12 percent on-year in March, smashing expectations, with analysts attributing it to a “frontloading” of orders ahead of Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2.
Many exporters said they have been either diversifying their production bases outside China, or the markets they sell to, away from the United States.
Henry Han, sales manager at Apexto Electronics Co, which makes SSD and micro SD flash drives, says the U.S. market only accounts for 10% of direct sales, down from 30% before the pandemic. Many of their customers now take shipments of components for final assembly in a third country to avoid the tariffs.
Sales manager David Du, from speaker maker Zealot, said an order from Skechers for 30,000 speakers to be distributed to their U.S. stores was put on hold after Trump’s tariffs. But he said he can rely on other markets.
Zealot got a big and unexpected break in 2015, when an all-in-one speaker, power bank and emergency flashlight became a hit in Nigeria.
He added that its market in Nigeria is now twice as big as the U.S., accounting for 40% of total sales and taking in 45 containers monthly.
“We are as big as JBL” in Nigeria, Du said, referring to the Californian audio equipment brand.
China’s exports to Nigeria are diverse and significant, with a focus on manufactured goods, particularly electrical and electronic equipment, machinery, and vehicles. In 2023, these top exports included electrical and electronic equipment ($2.88B), machinery, nuclear reactors, and boilers ($2.13B), and vehicles (other than railway or tramway) ($1.34B).
The bilateral trade between Nigeria and China reached an all-time high of $15.1 billion (about N25.7 trillion) between January and September 2024, with China’s imports from Nigeria increasing by 36.1 per cent year-on-year.
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has appealed to the Federal Government to step up and deal with rising insecurity in the state as the death toll from the recent attacks by suspected herdsmen on Ukum and Logo local government areas in the state has risen to 56.
The governor made the call on Saturday when he visited the scenes of attacks by suspected herdsmen in Ukum and Logo local government areas to ascertain the impact of the attacks.
Addressing journalists after the visit to the affected communities in the two local government areas, Alia condemned the violent attacks on the defenseless people and called for greater action from security agencies to nip these killings in the bud.
The governor used the visit to engage with community leaders and their people whom he assured of a better deal in addressing all forms of insecurity.
He also called for calm and urged the people to resist the will to resort to self-help
Security has also been beefed up in the Sankera axis where these attacks happened to restore confidence, while emergency services and relief items have been extended to the two local government areas.
In neighbouring Plateau State, also in the North Central geopolitical zone, over 100 people have been killed in the last two weeks when bloodthirsty marauders unleashed mayhem on communities in the Bokkos and Bassa local government areas of Plateau State.
Muhammad Auwal Jatau, Bauchi deputy governor, has denied reports claiming that he slapped Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, during a high-profile event in the state.
The alleged incident was said to have taken place on Friday inside a white coaster bus conveying dignitaries from Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa international airport to the Bauchi emir’s palace.
The dignitaries were en route to the turbaning of Mohammed Abubakar, a former governor of the state.
According to unverified reports, an argument broke out after the minister allegedly made disparaging comments about Bala Mohammed, Bauchi state governor.
Jatau was said to have slapped the minister in reaction, reportedly in the presence of Vice-President Kashim Shettima and other prominent figures.
But Muslim Lawal, spokesperson to the deputy governor, described the claim as “false and baseless”.
“No, no, no, how can the deputy governor slap the minister? I don’t think that ever happened in Bauchi because I know my principal is a responsible person,” he said.
“The number two person cannot slap a minister or whoever person that people are talking about. We are not even aware of that. I am just hearing this from you.”
Lawal questioned the credibility of the viral report and called on anyone with evidence to present it.
“Did you see the evidence of the slap? I didn’t see it, I’m just hearing about that from you,” he said.
“But my belief is that there is no way the deputy governor will slap a minister. I don’t think such can ever happen in Bauchi, not even my principal or whoever is in his position.”
He said there was no reasonable provocation for such an act.
“What is even the issue that will make the deputy governor slap a minister?” he asked.
“I was not in the car and if there is any evidence that the deputy governor did such, maybe we can speak on that, but as of now, I don’t even know about it. That’s our position.
“And I don’t even think that the deputy governor, even if it is not in the presence of the vice-president, can do that.”
Siminalayi Fubara, suspended governor of Rivers, has called on residents of the state to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
In his Easter message in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Saturday, the governor said the season represents a time for reconciliation and unity.
“Easter is a sacred season of reconciliation and unity. It is a time when the peace of Christ dwells richly in our hearts, restoring relationships, comforting the afflicted, feeding the hungry, and healing the brokenhearted,” Fubara said.
Fubara also reiterated his commitment to delivering good governance to the people of Rivers state.
“I reiterate my unwavering commitment to delivering good governance to the resilient and dignified people of Rivers state,” he said.
“Therefore, I call on the good people of Rivers state to continue to support and align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of our dear President, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while looking forward to a better tomorrow.”
Fubara added that the transformation desired by all is achievable when people act together as one, committed to peace, unity, and progress.
“Let us not lose sight of our collective strength. The transformation we all desire is achievable when we act together as one people under God, committed to peace, unity, and progress,” the governor said.