Thousands of Nigerian businessmen and individuals often ship items from the US to Nigeria and one of most commonly asked question is how to go about the process of shipping from USA to Nigeria.

In this post, you’ll get to know the steps involved in shipping from the United State of America to Nigeria.

First, there are several methods you can use but choosing the right one depends on the time you have available and how much you’re willing to spend.

You can use courier companies such as DHL, UPS or FedEx for documents or smaller packages.

But if you’re looking to ship large packages, you can use sea freight service providers.

You can also use any reputable air freight service provider which is faster than shipping. So the choice is yours depending on your needs and preferences.

However, if you want to know the cost of receiving packages from the USA to Nigeria, you will need to visit the website of these courier companies or freight service providers.

It is important you also take note of the charges involved in shipping your package. You can contact these companies by reaching out to them via their website or representatives.

Additionally, there are extra charges that you need to pay when your package is delivered Nigeria. Depending on the shipment service provider, these charges may be factored into your shipment fee or you may have to pay them by yourself.

Shipping from USA to Nigeria: Steps

If you’re making an online purchase, the process involved in shipping from the U.S.A to Nigeria is highlighted below

• Request for the US Cargo consolidation Service for your specified cargo company
• You’ll get a U.S shipping address which you will include on your order details.

In a case where the quantity of your shipment is large you can use any of the cargo companies below.

Value Handlers International (VHI)

VHI is one of the foremost Cargo and Freight forwarding companies in the country. Their services include freight forwarding, cargo handling and servicing, international trade representation, procurement advisory and support, warehousing, logistics and shipping agency.

In terms of cargo services, VHI Cargo is represented in over 40 cities around the world.

One of the things to note with VHI is that the transit time is dependent on the time of the year when the package is being sent. Depending on the city in the USA, it typically takes approximately 3 business days but this doesn’t factor the time required for customs clearance.

Usually, custom clearance can take a couple of weeks. If there’s a problem with the paperwork, it can take longer.

Planet Express

Planret Express is linked to the U.S companies like Amazon, Bestbuy and eBay. You can also visit the company’s website to use the shipping calculator in order to know your shipping charges.

The company offers a space in its warehouse so you can ship your product directly to their warehouse to shipping to Nigeria.

USPS Express International

This is a priority mail service for internationals shipment. Usually, the international shipping can be completed between 3 to 5 days.

Also, there’s a service called Priority Mail Express Flat rate which offers a flat rate pricing so you don’t have to bother about the weight of your package. The pricing is strictly determined by the destination country.

Your shipment can also be insured with USPS and there’s an efficient tracking service that allows you to track your package all the way.

When your shipment from USPS arrives in Nigeria, it is usually delivered by local post however USPS provides a 35-40% discount on postage to customers.

FedEx Priority International

FedEx provides a fast and reliable shipping service with full tracking of your package. The company offers a discount rate between 70%-75% in shipping cost directly to our international customers. The delivery time usually takes between 3 to 5 business days but you can’t ship items that weigh more 68 kg with this service

But if you don’t mind your shipment arriving a bit long, you can use the FedEx Economy International which is also cheaper.

DHL Express

DHL is also known for their fast shipping. Their express service, DHL Express can deliver packages from USA to Nigeria within 2-4 business days.

There are several courier companies that are affiliated to popular stores and manufacturer in America so you can use the warehouse address of these companies when making your online order but there are a few things you need to do before commencing the process.

First, you need to complete a Custom Declaration form which must be filled out. The requested information includes the purchase price of the items and the quantity exactly how you bought it. This form must be filled by you.

Also, there’s also a form called USPS Form 1583 which is required to be filled by all international customers. This form authorizes the courier company to receive your mails and packages.

Additionally, before you ship any item, you should take note of the restricted items that can’t be shipped out of the US borders. This is very important so you don’t waste your money buying items that won’t get to you.

We’ve include some of these items below to make the process easier for your.

• Corrosive, Explosive, Flammable, Compressed/Pressurized items, Chemical solution of any form
• Alcohol, flammable liquid, paint or alcohol item in any form
• Prescription drugs or illegal substances of any form of drugs
• Perishable food items
• Live or dead animals or plants
• Money or Precious metal,
• Electronic equipment or equipment requires ECCN (Export Control Classification Number).
• Fire arms or fire arms parts, rifle scope, red dot sight, ammo or any items under the restriction of ITAR, Department of Commerce, US Custom Border Protection, or US Department of Treasury.

Some companies may allowing the shipping  of lithium ion batteries contained inside an equipment but will not ship stand alone Lithium Ion batteries like power bank, back up batteries.

Final thoughts

Overall, the process of shipping from the U.S.A to Nigeria can be quite straightforward if you have the right information which we’ve provided in this post.