Cost of Shipping From China To Nigeria In 2024 (Prices, Strategies, & Steps)

Businesses in Nigeria frequently choose to import goods from China because of the country’s vast product selection and generally low prices. However, it’s not always easy to calculate the cost of shipping from China to Nigeria, especially when you are new to the importation business.

Nigeria is a West African nation with the largest population in the continent (approximately 200 million people and counting). With such a large population comes a heavy demand for products, and China’s industry has been helping to meet this demand.

 In this article, we will discuss the various costs involved in shipping from China to Nigeria and the best strategies to apply to help you save money and walk you through each step of the shipping procedure.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship from China to Nigeria?

You need to know the weight in kilograms or the volume in cubic meters of your goods before you can find out how much it will cost to ship them from China to Nigeria.

You should also be familiar with the shipping company’s or freight forwarding agent’s current shipping fee per kilogram.

Let’s take UPS as an example to calculate the cost of shipping from China to Nigeria.

UPS Shipping Rate per Kilogram

UPS has different shipping options to choose from, and each option carries different delivery times/durations at different costs.

If we are to choose UPS Worldwide Express Saver as our shipment option, then UPS will charge 1,204 Chinese Yuan (219,793 naira) for 1 kilogram of package.

To get the shipment cost, for example, for a package of 6 kg, we will have to multiply:

(Cost per kg X 6kg X current exchange rate)

Current exchange rate for. Chinese Yuan (CNY) to Nigerian Naira (NGN)

1 CNY = 182 NGN

UPS cost per kg = 1,204 CNY

Therefore, to calculate the cost of shipping a 6kg package from China to Nigeria:

(Cost per kg X 6kg X current exchange rate) =

1,204 X 6 X 182 = 1,314,768 Naira

N1,314,768 is the cost of shipping from China to Nigeria 6kg goods.

Don’t forget that you will still have to add the customs clearing fees to the cost of shipment.

I know what you must be thinking now! Why so expensive, right?

Yes, UPS is quite expensive if you are considering using it for your importation business; other courier delivery services offer competitive rates per kg for shipment from China to Nigeria, which we will be looking at later.

UPS in my opinion, is for high value and fast delivery when you need the delivery urgently.

Is it worth it?

Let’s even look at what items may sum up to 6 kg that will cause you to pay as high as N1,314,768 to bring them down to Nigeria.

Let’s take, for example, a smartphone, let’s say the new Infinix Hot 40; this phone weighs 196g.

We are going to need 30 of these smartphones to get to 6kg weight.

If each phone worth N250,000, 30 phone will worth N7,500,000

Are you going to be spending N1,314,768 to bring in N7,500,000 worth of phones from China to Nigeria?

Best Ways to Ship from China to Nigeria

When it comes to shipping from China to Nigeria, there are often two options open to you, and they are as follows:

1. Look for a shipping company
2. Get in touch with a freight forwarder.

Both of the routes that are open to shipping from China to Nigeria are going to be looked into, and we are going to make a decision regarding which one is the most advantageous.

Shipping Company Vs. Freight Forwarder From China To Nigeria

Shipping companies own and run ships that are made to carry different kinds of goods.

These are sometimes very big ships that carry standard containers. They take care of the complicated details of moving things quickly and easily.

On the other hand, a freight forwarder, who is also known as a forwarding agent, is like a middleman in the world of shipping goods.

They only plan and coordinate the whole shipping process, and they do not move the goods themselves.

To put it simply, a freight forwarder or forwarding agent is like an air ticketing agent for flight booking; the same way an air ticketing agent will look for affordable flights for you and book the ticket on your behalf, a flight forwarder will also look for the best affordable and efficient shipping company for you and coordinate the shipping process on your behalf.

Now that we know the difference between a shipping company and a freight forwarder, the big question should be which option should I use when shipping from Nigeria to China?

Shipping Company Vs. Freight Forwarder which is better?

In the early stages of your small import business, it is recommended that you employ the services of a freight forwarder.

If you are not well-versed in the ins and outs of shipping, it would be beneficial to have an agent who handles all the hassles on your behalf so that you can sit back, relax, and await your shipment without any worries.

Process Involved in Shipping Goods from China to Nigeria

1. Find a Supplier: Locate a reliable supplier or online marketplace in China, such as Alibaba Aliexpress, who provides the products that you require on the market.

Note:  Your forwarder address or warehouse should not be too far from your suppliers in China because there is going to be a local delivery to your forwarder’s address first.

• Obtain Quotes: Get quotes from several freight forwarders, comparing prices and services offered.
• Your supplier will be responsible for packaging your materials. A local delivery service will be arranged for your packaged items to be delivered to your freight forwarder location or warehouse in China.
• A local courier delivery will deliver your items to the forwarding agent’s warehouse in China.
• Delivery: Your forwarding will schedule delivery of your products; they will handle customs clearance and transport your products to your Nigerian destination.

Strategies to Save on Shipping Costs

Listed below are some methods that you can implement to cut down on the expenses associated with shipping from China to Nigeria:

·         Negotiate with Suppliers:

Many Chinese suppliers are prepared to negotiate shipping charges, particularly for larger purchases.

·         Consider Consolidating Shipments:

If you are placing orders with many suppliers in China, you might want to think about consolidating your shipments into a single larger shipment in order to save money.

·         Choose the Right Shipping Method: 

Make Sure You Pick the Right Shipping Method You should compare the pricing and delivery timeframes of various shipping methods in order to pick the one that is most suitable for your requirements.

If you are not in a hurry to get your goods, you should consider shipping them by sea freight.

·         Collaborate with a Freight Forwarder:

A freight forwarder may assist you in comparing pricing from several shipping firms and negotiating better rates for your shipment.

Factors Affecting Cost of Shipping From China To Nigeria In 2024

The total cost of moving your goods from China to Nigeria depends on some factors.

Let’s look at some of the most important ones:

Shipping Method: There are different shipping methods, and each has its price range and delivery time.

Some popular choices are:

• Air freight: This is the fastest way to send goods, but it costs the most.
• Sea Freight: With sea freight, you can save money, but it takes longer to get your goods.
• Express Mail Service (EMS):  As far as speed and cost go, Express Mail Service (EMS) is in the middle. It’s somewhere between air freight and sea freight.

Package Size and Weight: The length, width, and height of your package are usually used to figure out how much it will cost to ship. It will cost more to ship packages that are bigger and heavier.

Origin and Destination City: The shipping cost will depend on how far away your package is from its starting city in China to its destination city in Nigeria.

Incoterms (Delivery Terms): Incoterms, which stand for “Delivery Terms,” say who is responsible for the costs and risks of the package at different points along the way. FOB (Free on Board) and CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) are common incoterms for delivery between China and Nigeria.

Cost Of Shipping From China To Nigeria By Sea (Sea cargo)

Ships move goods through the sea, ocean, or lake in the same way that cargo planes move goods through the air or space.

That’s the idea behind sea shipping, which means moving goods through seas.

How to calculate sea shipping rates

When calculating shipping by air freight in the previous section, we used weights measured in kilograms, but in calculating sea cargo cost, there is a special measurement for it called CBM, which is the cubic metre. This is used to measure by volume.

This is just like a cube plus a metre

In summary, the CBM is the product of the quantity of items * length * width * height.

Now let’s calculate the cost of shipping by sea cargo

First, we will have to calculate the volume of a cube.

Volume = L * W * H (by multiplying all sides of a cube)

You may ask why the volume of a cube. Well, you cannot measure the volume of your items directly; that would be almost impossible because most items will have irregular shapes, so these items are put in a carton with regular shapes.

A carton is a cube, so it is now very easy to measure all sides of the carton.

The good news is that there are online calculators to help you calculate CBM, so you do not need to bother about the mathematics involved.

What Is The CBM For Containers?

Container	Length	Width	Height	Capacity	MAX CBM
20 feet	589 cm	234 cm	238 cm	26-28 CBM	33 CBM
40 feet	1200 cm	234 cm	238 cm	56-58 CBM	66 CBM
40 HC (high cube)	1200   cm	234 cm	269 cm	60-68 CBM	72 CBM

You can see from the table above that the CBM is given for standard container sizes,

To figure out how many items will fit in a 20-foot or 40-foot ocean shipping container, you also need to know your shipment volume.

There is no way to use every inch of space every time a container is full. There will always be some space in a container, but carriers know how to make the most of the room they have by packing as much as possible inside.

Converting KG to CBM in Sea cargo

Let’s say you know the weight of the items that you have purchased already from Alibaba or Aliexpress, but you do not know the CBM.

One CBM, or ton, is equal to 1000 kg when it comes to ocean freight prices. This makes it pretty easy to figure out the CBM for LCL shipping.

Below is the conversion to get your CBM if you already know the weight in kilograms of your package.

1 kg = 0.001 CBM

10 kg = 0.01 CBM

50 kg = 0.05 CBM

100 kg = 0.1 CBM

200 kg = 0.2 CBM

500 kg = 0.5 CBM

1000 kg = 1 CBM

Cost Of Shipping 20ft Container From China To Nigeria

This 20-foot container is a smaller container that is typically used for shipments of smaller items.

The cost of shipping a 20-foot container (FCL) is between $3,200 and $4,000

Cost Of Shipping 40ft Container From China To Nigeria

This is a larger container that is used for bigger shipments. The prices generally fall between $5,200 and $6,000

Shipping containers from China to Nigeria can be expensive, but these are the going rates for 20-foot and 40-foot containers (FCL) loaded with any kind of cargo, including commercial goods, vehicles, and personal effects,

Things like the Port of Origin in China and the Destination Port in Nigeria can influence these shipping rates for containers:

Major Ports In China

• Port of Shanghai
• Port of Shenzhen
• Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan
• Port of Guangzhou
• Port of Hong Kong

Major Ports In Nigeria

• Lagos Port Complex
• Tin Can Island Port
• Calabar Port Complex
• Onne Port Complex
• Port of Harcourt

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

The number of days or weeks it takes to ship from China to Nigeria depends on the port and shipping route.

Generally, it takes an average of between 25 to 45 days to ship from China to Nigeria. However, this is just an estimate as certain elements change this time frame such as weather, etc.

Additional Costs To Consider When Using Sea Cargo To Ship From China To Nigeria

Terminal Fees: There may be fees applicable to the process of loading and unloading containers at the ports.

Customs Clearance: The costs associated with passing customs in Nigeria are determined by the value of your products as well as the sort of commodities you are bringing through.

Generally, there is a VAT of 7.5% attached to all commodities.

Inland Transportation: If your final destination is not the city that serves as the port, you should anticipate incurring additional charges for transferring the container inland.

Read relating post:

Shipping from Nigeria to South Africa In 2024

Prices of Shipping from Nigeria to Canada In 2024

Costs of Shipping from Nigeria to Australia In 2024

Prices of Shipping from Nigeria to the UK In 2024

Cost and Steps of Shipping from Nigeria to USA In 2024

List Of Freight Forwarders That Offer Good Shipping Rates From China To Nigeria

DHL, UPS, and FedEx are good shipping companies to use. Still, if you followed the previous section where we made calculations using UPS to ship products to Nigeria from China, you would agree with me that there is no way you can do business using these top courier delivery companies without running at a loss.

If you are starting an importation business, then below are the companies that you can try out. We have verified them from those who have done business with them before and still doing business with them.

• Freightya
• Echan Cargo
• FG Zenitho
• Choice cargo
• Liberty Logistics
• AOU Logistics

Conclusion – Cost of Shipping From China To Nigeria In 2024 (Prices, Strategies, & Steps)

With proper preparation and attention to budget, shipping from China to Nigeria can go off without a hitch. Your import journey can be optimized by learning what factors determine shipping charges, trying out different ways, and implementing tactics to save money.

If you have any specific questions regarding cost of shipping from China to Nigeria in 2024 or would like up-to-date shipping prices, it is recommended that you talk with a competent freight forwarder; this article only serves as a guide.