How To Import From China To Nigeria: 9-Step Guide in 2025

Nigeria is among the largest African markets. Economy of this country has a GDP of $443 billion. That means it has a strong import-export industry. About 25% of Nigeria’s imports (worth $12 billion) are from China.

Our today’s guide will show you how to import from China to Nigeria. Let’s see how you can find a supplier and transport your goods at the final Nigerian destination.

The 9-Step Guide To Import From China To Nigeria

Below is a simple step-by-step process to help you ship your cargo to Nigeria. Follow these carefully for a smooth cargo shipment.

1. Find The Right Product

First things first, you have to select the product for your business. This actually means what you want to import from China to Nigeria. For this purpose, you have to research your market and find out what’s trending and seasonal. You can also think about everyday consumer products. Also, you need to check the yearly sales of the items so that you pick the right one for your business.

However, if you fail to do your research properly and purchase a product simply because it seems appealing, you may face a loss in your business, therefore, if you are not an expert in market analysis and research, hire a good product hunter. 

2. Source From a Chinese Supplier

When you have finalized your product, find its supplier from China. The reason is the Chinese supplier market is one of the largest in the world and provides you very affordable products. Therefore, it is preferable to source your product from here. 

You can find product sellers through directories like Alibaba, Made-in-China, and Global Sources. It is to be noted that you need to contact at least 8 to 10 suppliers to analyze their rates. Furthermore, before ordering in bulk, you need to check the quality by requesting a sample from them.

3. Select Your Incoterm

Incoterm is the type of agreement that should be created between the seller and the buyer during international imports. It distributes the responsibilities of shipping products from China to Nigeria between both parties. The incoterms you choose decides your importation cost, the more money you pay, the less the duties are upon you. 

Here are the most commonly used incoterms in the import process:

• FOB – Free On Board
• CFR – Cost and Freight
• EXW – Ex Works
• CIF – Cost, Insurance, & Freight

4. Cargo Preparation

When your products are manufactured, you need to prepare them for shipping to Nigeria. This includes proper packaging using cartons, bubble wrap, or other protective materials to ensure the products are safe during shipping. But here, the packaging box size must be similar to the product size to avoid unused space and extra shipping costs.

After that, label the boxes with the details of the Chinese supplier and the Nigerian buyer. Moreover, the information of the cargo including the number of units per box, the type of item, and the handling directions must be mentioned on the package.

5. Prepare Import Documents

The documents needed to import from China to Nigeria include:

• Bill of Lading (BOL): It proves the contract of carriage of shipments between the seller and the carrier. 
• Customs Declaration Form: It is provided by your freight forwarder, including the details of cargo to clear customs
• Commercial or Proforma Invoice: It serves as the receipt for the payment transaction between you and the product seller.
• Insurance Documents: This document is required if you insure your cargo against any loss during the importation. 
• Packing List: It provides the details of each article in the shipment, issued by your supplier.

It is required to submit the above papers to the customs of both countries. In addition, there are some other documents only needed by the Nigerian authorities to import products to this country. These are:

• CCVO

CCVO is the Combined Certificate of Value & Origin. This shows the country where your products are made and the total value of your shipment. However, now you can also use a simple certificate of origin instead of CCVO. 

• Form M

It is the declaration certificate to enter into the Nigerian boundaries for the purpose of imports. It is strictly needed to clear customs in this country.

• SONCAP Certificate (SC)

It is abbreviated as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme certification. It is issued by Cotecna, an authority entrusted by SON (Standards Organisation of Nigeria), to inspect the imports’ quality. 

• Product Certificate (PC) 

There are three types of product certificates depending on whether your product is registered, licensed, or unlicensed. Let’s have a look at each of them:

• Registered Products are commonly categorized under the regular imported shipments into Nigeria. 
• Licensed Products are those that are imported not only regularly but in large quantities from China to Nigeria.
• Unlicensed or Unregistered products are those that are not regularly imported. Usually, these are less frequently transported to Nigeria. 

The Nigerian authorities made a Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) program. Through this system, you can submit your import documents online before the shipment reaches the entry port. It will help in the timely clearance of your cargo. 

6. Clear Chinese Customs

Now your cargo will have to pass through the customs authorities of China at the exporting site. It may be the airport or the seaport customs department. This is the most important step, as even a small document error can delay your shipment and result in penalties.

In addition, there are export taxes and duties applied to the products according to their category. You are required to clear these payments to ship your item from China to Nigeria. 

7. Shipping & Tracking

After all the documentation and payment processing, your shipment will be loaded onto the ship or plane based on your choice. Your freight forwarder will manage this process on your behalf. If needed, your freight agent can also handle the clearance procedure.

Moreover, you can track the live location of your shipping vessel from the departure port to the destination port. This allows you to monitor the shipment’s progress and stay updated on its estimated arrival time.  

8. Understand Nigerian Import Regulations

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) uses Customs Cooperation Council Nomenclature (CCCN) to specify the duties and tariffs rate. The import duties lie within the range of 5% to 35% of the cost, insurance, and freight value of the shipment. The percentage is mostly high for luxury items and low for regular consumer products.

In addition, the value-added tax applied on your goods is 7.5% of the CIF value. On the other hand, an excise duty is levied on the imports of alcohol and tobacco products. You need to pay these taxes in Nigerian currency, Naira, upon the arrival of your imports at the entry port.

The NCS uses a Single Window Portal system to facilitate imports and exports by simplifying the clearance procedure. With the help of this portal, you can not only submit your taxes online, but also all your documents at one place. Moreover, the import instructions are also mentioned at this portal to help you clear the import process.

It is preferred to register your business in Nigeria with CAC before importing from China. This is not a requirement, but it can help grow your business on a long-term basis. You can do registration by physically visiting the Corporate Affairs Commission office or online through their website.

9. Final Delivery

After the inspection is completed and the customs are cleared at the seaport or airport of Nigeria, it’s time to take your products to their real place. You can hire a local carrier or ask your freight agent for domestic delivery. The last door may be your home, your own store, Amazon warehouse, or Ebay storehouse.

The Right Method To Import From China To Nigeria

You can use one of the following means of getting your goods in Nigeria from China. Let’s have a look at each of them:

Ocean Shipping

In this way of transportation, your goods are carried through a vessel from Chinese ports to Nigerian ports. It is the slowest means of importing cargo from one country to another. Because it usually takes a month or even more to deliver your cargo to the destination port in Nigeria. 

Although, through this method, you will get your products at your desired location in your country at the lowest possible cost. The best part is you don’t have to worry about the quantity of your goods. The reason is it does not matter whether they are lightweight, refrigerated, heavy, liquid, dry, or something else, we can handle everything. 

We have special containers for shipping each type of cargo to Nigeria. In addition, these containers come in two standard sizes, 20 feet and 40 feet. If your shipment does not fit in either of these two, we have another option, which is known as an out–of-gauge (OOG) container. 

It is commonly used to ship aircraft parts, construction machinery, wind turbine parts, etc. On the other hand, if your shipment is small and does not need a full container (FCL), you can pay for only a space of the container your cargo takes. This model of shipping from China to Nigeria is known as LCL. 

Air Freight

This mode of importation from China to Nigeria is a little bit more expensive than sea freight. This is because your cargo will be shipped by plane and reach the destination airport in Nigeria within 7 days. You have to pay according to the volumetric weight of your cargo. 

It is estimated by multiplying all the dimensions (height, width, and length) and dividing the answer by 5000. It is mostly recommended to import fragile, time-dependent, and temperature-sensitive products to ship through air freight. 

Expedited Delivery

This method is known to be the fastest one to import goods to Nigeria. Therefore, it is mostly used in emergency cases and you need to pay a higher amount than all the other options if you choose this mode.

However, express delivery puts some restrictions on the weight and type of shipment that varies with different airlines. You can contact us to know about those limitations if you want to import your products from China to Nigeria.

Cost of Shipping From China To Nigeria

The cost of importing goods from Chinese to Nigerian ports varies depending on the shipping company. Moreover, the type of item you want to ship and your chosen exporting and importing sites also impact the importation prices. You can get a general idea from the following table:

How Long Does It Take To Ship From China To Nigeria?

The duration of shipping from China to Nigeria depends on your chosen method of importation. Moreover, the departure and arrival ports also affect the number of days and overall transit time. Here is the general estimated duration for importing goods to Nigeria.

Ocean Freight Import Duration

The following table shows the port-to-port duration by sea shipping method.

Air Freight Shipping Time

Here is the average range of transit time from the airports of China to the airports of Nigeria.

Prohibited & Restricted Items To Import From China to Nigeria

Nigerian customs prohibit certain items, and some products require a license to be imported. Those products that require import certifications are called restricted products. 

Absolutely Prohibited Products

• Counterfeit money and other articles
• Inflammable materials
• White phosphorus containing matches
• Used clothing
• Air pistols
• Nuclear waste
• Spirits with more than 48.5% pure alcohol by volume, excluding denatured, perfumed, and medicated spirits.
• Weapons and ammunition
• Blank invoices
• Manilas
• Obscene or immoral prints

Restricted Items

• Dead birds, alive birds, and their eggs
• Beef and pork
• Beet sugar and cane
• Cocoa powder, cake, and butter
• Refined fats and vegetable oils
• Waters (aerated and mineral)
• Spaghetti
• Pharmaceutical products
• Chemical fertilizers
• Used rubber tires
• Second hand freezers and compressors
• Motor vehicles older than fifteen (15) years
• Tomato paste
• Mobile recharge cards
• Floor coverings (carpets)
• Mosquito repellent coils
• Retail-packaged fruit juices

Final Words

We have explained each step on how to import from China to Nigeria. However, if you find the customs procedures, paperwork, or other steps too complex, Bansar is here to help. We can import your goods from any Chinese city to your desired location in Nigeria. You can contact us anytime, we’re always ready to solve your queries.