Nigeria-China Bilateral Trade: Trends and Implications for Small Traders in Aba, Abia State

Aba in Abia State, South East Nigeria, is one of the country's most productive small-scale manufacturing hubs and has been significantly affected by the influx of inexpensive Chinese manufactured goods over the past decade. This study examines the trends in Nigeria-China bilateral trade from 2015 to 2023 and investigates their specific implications for small-scale traders and manufacturers in Aba's Ariaria International Market. A descriptive research design was adopted, drawing on secondary data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the China-Africa Research Initiative, complemented by primary data from structured questionnaires administered to 200 small traders in the market. The study finds that Nigeria's trade deficit with China widened from approximately five billion dollars in 2015 to over eighteen billion dollars by 2023, driven largely by manufactured consumer goods. In Aba, 68 percent of surveyed traders reported direct revenue losses attributable to competition from Chinese imports, particularly in garments, footwear, and household goods. A minority of traders at 22 percent report sourcing Chinese goods for resale, indicating adaptive commercial strategies. Government import restriction policies are reported as inconsistently enforced. The study concludes that the Aba manufacturing community requires targeted support through preferential credit for locally manufactured goods, revised import duties, and Made-in-Nigeria campaigns coordinated with Chinese diplomatic representations to curb dumping practices in the South East zone.

Keywords: Nigeria-China trade, bilateral trade deficit, Aba, Ariaria Market, South East Nigeria