Sea container, air cargo shipping from China to Nigeria|UCS

Nigeria, country located on the western coast of Africa. Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital, Abuja, is located. The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the second-largest in Africa. China is Nigeria’s largest source of imports, followed by India and the United States. In 2019, bilateral trades between China and Nigeria reached $19.27 billion. If you happen to be importing from China to Nigeria, keep reading, you’ll definitely find it helpful.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to shipping from China to Nigeria, and hopefully it will answer all your questions. The below content includes shipping method, transit time, cost, how to choose the best way to ship, and what a good freight forwarder can do for your China-Nigeria shipment.

Sea and air freight are the main options to move your goods from China to Nigeria. There are many freight forwarders that offer container shipping and air cargo transport services, but with us, there are more possibilities. It’s vital to work with a one who understands your needs and always carries out tailored shipping solution from China to Nigeria.

Sea freight from China to Nigeria

Sea freight is the very first choice when shipping from China to Nigeria due to its nature of being economically and environmentally superior to other modes of shipping, especially over long distance, for goods in bulk or equipment of large size. Most of the time, goods are shipped in containers, and sometimes with bulk cargo ships, RO-RO ships or tankers, etc. Over 90% of the world’s total cargo traffic is carried out by sea freight. Shipping by sea allows moving your cargo from China to Nigeria at the minimum cost possible, naturally you’ll accept the long transit time across the ocean. One more advantage is, with sea freight we are capable of transporting almost any type of goods, even those classified as dangerous goods. 

FCL (Full container load): shipping a container filled with goods exclusively for one client from China to Nigeria. Generally, we offer FCL shipping service to Nigeria with 20ft container and 40ft container (20GP, 40GP and 40HQ). FCL is more cost efficient.
LCL (Less than container load): If your cargo can’t fill an entire container, our consolidation (LCL shipping) service from China to Nigeria is always available, i.e. sharing a container with other clients who have cargo to the same destination, at the same time. Naturally, due to extra work (consolidation, de-consolidation, warehousing, paperwork, etc.), the final cost on each unit is higher than FCL, and shipping takes longer. LCL is a good choice for small business to start with. 

Besides regular FCL and LCL shipments, if you are shipping large, heavy project cargo from China to Nigeria, we’d recommend flat rack or open top container solution. Reefer container for cold-chain transportation, breakbulk/RO-RO ship for bulk shipment and vehicles (wheeled cargo). 

If you are looking to ship containers or other shipments by sea from China to Nigeria, we got the total solution for you. Get a China-Nigeria shipping solution and quote now.

We offer port to port, door to port and door to door freight solutions from China to Nigeria, depending on your specific requirements. Our sea freight forwarding services from China to Nigeria covers all the major Chinese ports: Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Tianjin, Dalian, etc. Considering the final destination, we’ll transport your cargo via the most convenient port in Nigeria, such as Apapa, Tin Can, Onne, Port Harcourt, etc. 

Major ports in Nigeria

Lagos port (Apapa)
The Lagos Port Complex also referred to as Premiere Port (Apapa Quays) is the earliest and largest Port in Nigeria. It is situated in Apapa, Lagos State, the commercial center of Nigeria. The Apapa Port is well equipped with modern cargo handling equipment and personnel support facilities making her cost effective and customer friendly.
Apapa port received 0.632 m TEU of container traffic in 2020. 

Tin Can Island
Tin Can Island Port is located northwest of Lagos Port Complex. The Port handles diversified cargoes with each terminal operator specializing in unique forms of cargo (Dry and Wet bulk cargoes, Box- Containerized cargoes, RORO services).
For the nation’s second-busiest port, 650,365teu’s of container arrived at the port of Tin Can Island in 2020 compared to 820,942teu’s of containers the previous year.

Onne
Onne Port Complex situated on the Bonny River Estuary along Ogu Creek is the first port of its kind in Nigeria that operated the Landlord Port Model devised to encourage private sector participation in the Port Industry. Strategically located, the Port is one of the largest Oil and Gas Free Zone in the world supporting exploration and production for Nigerian activities. The Free Zone provides a logistics Oil Service center for the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria both Onshore and Offshore. It also provides easy access to the entire West African and Sub-Sahara Oil fields.

Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt is the capital and largest city in Rivers State, Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Kaduna.

Air freight from China to Nigeria

Air freight provides a fast and safe shipping solution from China to Nigeria for time-sensitive and high value commodities. Maybe your project gets delayed, maybe you have a pressing deadline, or maybe your cargo is perishable, when all other modes of transport can’t meet your timing requirement, using air freight enables us to deliver the shipment with the least amount of time. Generally cargo air shipped from China takes 3-7 days to arrive in Nigeria. If your supply chain has sufficient budget, and is more concerned about security than cost, especially when shipping high-value goods, then air freight is the perfect solution. 

We have developed strong relationships with major air carriers and built a vast network of air cargo transportation, offering daily and weekly cargo flights from China’s main airports to Nigeria. 
We provide air shipping services from China to Nigeria. When shipping by air with us, we provide the best shipping solution and the fastest route which meets your needs and guarantees a relatively cost-efficient way. Flying your cargo with us gives you peace of mind as we take care of your air shipments from pick-up till delivery to the destination, overseeing every link of the logistics chain.

Compared to sea freight, air freight is not so often used due to its high cost. Not everything is worth air shipping, and not everything can be shipped by air. If you are looking for air freight service from China to Nigeria, consult our team for advice before you proceed. Request a quote from us.

Major airports in Nigeria

Lagos
Lagos Airport (IATA CODE: LOS), located in Ikeja, 12 km (14 miles) northwest of downtown Lagos and 50 km from Lekki, serving both cities, officially known as Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), is the busiest and largest airport in Nigeria in terms of air cargo traffic. 

Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria, in the middle of the country.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (IATA: ABV), also known as Abuja International Airport, is located 40 km from Abuja city center, on the way to Gwagwalada. ABV Airport has a couple of terminals and a single runway.
It is the main international airport serving Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.

Lagos and Abuja airports together handle approx. 75% of the country’s total air cargo traffic.

Other airports: Kano, Port Harcourt, etc. 

How long does it take to ship from China to Nigeria?

Shipping from China to Nigeria takes 30-50 days by sea, and 5-7 days by air. The actual transit time may vary if you are choosing different seaport/airport, service and route. 
In peak season lead time and shipping take longer. 

China-Nigeria sea freight transit time

The transit time of shipping a container from China to Nigeria ranges from 30 to 50 days, port to port. 

POL(port of loading)	POD(port of discharge)	Transit time
Shanghai	Apapa, Lagos	36 days
Shanghai	Onne	41 days
Shenzhen	Apapa, Lagos	31 days
Shenzhen	Onne	36 days
Qingdao	Apapa, Lagos	40 days
Qingdao	Onne	50 days

Container shipping transit time by sea from Shanghai, Shenzhen, Qingdao to Apapa, Lagos and Onne
FYI: The transit time by sea, port to port, depends on the specific origin and destination ports chosen, service route, sailing schedule and choice on carrier.
Shanghai in East China, Shenzhen South China, and Qingdao North China, data from these 3 ports is enough to demonstrate the sea shipping time from China to Nigeria.
Above transit time is for full container load shipping, port to port only, for LCL shipping time estimate, pls add 7-10 days.

China-Nigeria air shipping transit time

An air shipment from China to Nigeria usually takes 5-7 days, as there are not direct flight services connecting Chinese cities and Nigerian cities. Due to the long distance, all passenger and cargo flights will transfer at the Middle East, or East or North African airports before flying to Nigeria.  

If you have an urgent order from China to Nigeria, contact us and get the best service and shortest flight route which ensures the fastest delivery. Request an air freight quote from us.

How much does shipping from China to Nigeria cost?

Shipping from China to Nigeria used to cost approx. $2000-3000/40ft container, and freight cost went up way higher after the pandemic. Similar0 with air shipping. 

It’s hard to provide a general estimate of shipping cost from China to Nigeria. First of all, each shipment is different, and clients may have various requirements under some specific circumstances. Secondly, the shipping market is fast changing, sea and air freight rates fluctuate frequently, the year-on-year difference could be drastic, and price for last week may not be valid for this week. Besides, timing requirement also influences the shipping cost, the quicker you wish to receive the shipment, the more money you’ll have to spend on shipping.
 
Knowing how much shipping costs from China to Nigeria is essential if you into import & export business. Shipping cost is an indispensable, and sometimes could be a significant portion of the final landed cost of imported goods, especially for the low-value goods. 

Contact us now to obtain a tailored shipping solution and the latest shipping cost from China to Nigeria.

Freight forwarder shipping from China to Nigeria

China is home to many worldwide suppliers, yet shipping from China isn’t always straightforward.

Handling shipments from China to Nigeria is a tough job, and everybody’s got his expertise, using a freight forwarder will save time and energy for you. Using an experienced freight forwarder to handle your shipments from China to Nigeria allows you focus more on your main business, to bring the best out of you. With the help of a professional freight forwarding team, your shipment will be well planned and carried out smoothly, avoiding delay and potential extra charges, and freight management made easier than ever.

The best way to ship your goods from China to Nigeria is to rely on a reputable and experienced freight forwarder for their knowledge and insight.

As one of the top China based freight forwarders serving Nigeria, we have the knowledge, expertise and experience to provide the most accurate answers and optimal shipping solutions tailored to your needs. Leave it to the expert, and you are freed from all the troubles and complexity of shipping and logistics. 

Door to door shipping from China to Nigeria

Moreover, we have reps in Nigeria and have been working with other local freight forwarders as well. By combining our freight forwarding services with their networks, we present clients the easiest one-stop door to door shipping solution from China to Nigeria.
Whether by sea or by air, door to door shipping from China to Nigeria is easy with us.

Best way to ship from China to Nigeria

China is home to many worldwide suppliers, yet shipping from China to Nigeria isn’t always straightforward.

Everybody wants a fast and safe delivery of shipment at the minimum cost possible. Different shipments, circumstances with various requirements, plus the ever changing shipping market, there’s no simple solution. An experienced freight forwarder shall analyze all the factors and provide the best shipping solution under give circumstance, and meet your needs.
1.    The type of goods and its value
2.    How quickly you need your goods
3.    The load of your goods (size, weight, quantity) or simply share the packing list
4.    Supplier address (origin seaport/airport), delivery address(destination seaport/airport)
5.    Your budget
6.    Goods ready time
Get in touch with us and start a hassle-free shipping experience from China to Nigeria. Request a quote from us.

How to ship from China to Nigeria

Step 1: Contact a freight forwarder; a China based one is preferred.
You may reach out to a freight forwarder either from China or in Nigeria. While a Nigerian forwarder is most likely to rely on a Chinese local shipping agent. So China based forwarder is better, as the majority of complexities and uncertainties of international cargo shipping lie in origin, not in destination.
More on “Why you should work with a local China freight forwarder”
Step 2: Get a shipping quote from China
Step 3: Connect freight forwarder with supplier, the forwarder will work on the shipment and keep you updated
Step 4: Get cargo insurance (optional)
Step 5: Arrange customs clearance
Or you can simply rely on a freight forwarder for a door to door shipping solution from China to Nigeria.

Why us when importing and shipping from China to Nigeria

We are China based freight forwarder specialized and experienced in international logistics for China-Nigeria import & export business. Through years of effort on China-Africa trade lane, we have developed service agreements with the best sea and air shipping carriers. This allows us to offer various shipping solutions, routes and schedules from China to Nigeria at fair rates with space guarantee especially in peak seasons. 
1.    Quick Response, high efficiency
2.    Communication
3.    Professionalism, agility, accuracy
4.    Our logistics expertise, local and global connections
5.    Cost-saving
6.    Dedicated, focused
7.    Higher attention & tailored shipping solution
More on Why us when importing and shipping from China to Nigeria

As a leading China freight forwarder serving Nigeria, we have the knowledge and expertise to fulfill a fast and safe delivery of shipment while ensuring the best-in-class cargo shipping experience.

Contact us if you are interested in shipping from China to Nigeria (Apapa, Tin Can, Lagos, Abuja, Onne, Port Harcourt, etc.). Whether you are shipping standard sea container, air cargo, refrigerated or oversized cargo, we are the solution. Get a tailored shipping solution and quote from China to Nigeria.