How to Import from China to Nigeria
To import from China to Nigeria you find and vet a supplier, test a sample, agree the price on a clear Incoterm, and choose a payment method that limits your exposure. On the Nigerian side you open a Form M through your bank before shipment, obtain SONCAP or NAFDAC approvals if the product is regulated, ship by sea or air, and clear the goods with a Pre-Arrival Assessment Report from the Nigeria Customs Service using a licensed clearing agent. This guide walks through each step.
Pronto ad acquistare all'ingrosso?
Migliaia di acquirenti si riforniscono da fornitori verificati su Towobo.
Find Wholesale Suppliers on Towobo →Start with the product: can it be imported, and what does it need?
Before you talk to any supplier, confirm that the product can legally enter Nigeria and find out which approvals it needs. The Nigeria Customs Service publishes an import prohibition list, and it is revised from time to time. It has included items such as frozen poultry, bagged cement, used clothing and certain retail-packed foods, among others, so check the current list for your exact product instead of relying on what other traders say. Next, identify the HS code, the tariff classification that determines the import duty and levies. Look it up in the Nigeria Customs Service tariff, which follows the ECOWAS Common External Tariff, and confirm it with a clearing agent, because a wrong code is one of the most common causes of disputes at the port. Then check the regulators. Food, drinks, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices and chemicals fall under NAFDAC, which requires product registration or an import permit. Many other manufactured goods, such as electrical items, building materials, toys and tyres, fall under the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and need SONCAP certification. Foreign exchange rules also matter, since the Central Bank of Nigeria sets the conditions for paying overseas suppliers through the banking system and those conditions change. Build your landed cost only after these checks.