Shipping from China to Kaduna
China → Kaduna · via KAN air / Apapa sea · clearance by Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
Freight from China into Kaduna clears through KAN air / Apapa sea. Kaduna is a northern industrial city with an inland dry port, and allow 3-5 days inland for the inland leg on top of clearance.
On the destination side, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) handles clearance; budget 7-21 days, longer at Apapa in peak season of dwell before the cargo is released.
What the routing looks like in practice
Lagos has three container gateways and they are not interchangeable. Apapa is the oldest and the best connected to the standard-gauge rail and the inland dry ports, but its draft is the shallowest at about 12.5 m. Tin Can Island specialises in roll-on roll-off and vehicle imports. Lekki Deep Sea Port is the newest, automated, and at about 16.5 m draft it is the only one of the three that takes the largest container ships, which is why an increasing share of regional cargo routes through it. Onne serves the east and the oil and gas sector.
| Air gateways used | LOS (Lagos), ABV (Abuja), KAN (Kano) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 5-9 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Lagos Port Complex (Apapa), Tin Can Island, Lekki Deep Sea Port |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 30-45 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Kaduna | KAN air / Apapa sea |
| Inland leg to Kaduna | 3-5 days inland from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 7-21 days, longer at Apapa in peak season |
| Peak season to plan around | Aug-Dec |
What you will pay on arrival in Nigeria
Imports into Nigeria are cleared by Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). The headline position is: VAT 7.5%; customs duty 0-35%, plus levies on selected goods. The de-minimis threshold is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: SONCAP is required for most regulated goods and the certificate has to be issued before shipment; a Form M and a PAAR are required for the customs entry. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Nigeria: SONCAP and the Form M have to be in place before the goods ship; this is the single most common reason a Nigerian consignment sits on the quay. Apapa congestion and the cost of the final road leg inside Lagos are frequently larger than the ocean freight itself.
Air, sea or overland into Kaduna?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 5-9 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 30-45 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Nigeria gateway and excludes the 3-5 days inland inland leg to Kaduna and 7-21 days, longer at Apapa in peak season of clearance.
What to sort out before the cargo leaves China
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: SONCAP is required for most regulated goods and the certificate has to be issued before shipment; a Form M and a PAAR are required for the customs entry.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Nigeria duty rate against it yourself.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the Nigeria lane.
Mode guides for Kaduna
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Kaduna take?
China to the Nigeria gateway is 5-9 business days by air, 30-45 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 7-21 days, longer at Apapa in peak season of clearance with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and a 3-5 days inland inland leg to Kaduna.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Kaduna?
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) applies: VAT 7.5%; customs duty 0-35%, plus levies on selected goods. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Kaduna.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Kaduna?
Yes. Delivery to a Kaduna address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the 3-5 days inland inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.
When is the busiest time on the China–Nigeria lane?
Space and rates tighten around Aug-Dec, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year in January or February and Golden Week in early October. Book one to two weeks earlier in those periods.
What certification do I need for Nigeria?
For regulated goods, plan for: SONCAP is required for most regulated goods and the certificate has to be issued before shipment; a Form M and a PAAR are required for the customs entry. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Kaduna?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Other delivery cities in Nigeria
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Nigeria change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) or your broker before you ship.
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
Page data last reviewed: November 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
- Corrugated Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Glass Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Electronic Switches Electronic Components & Semiconductors
- IoT Devices Consumer Electronics & Smart Devices
- Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Home Storage Products Furniture & Home Products
- Fashion Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Laboratory Equipment Medical, Laboratory & Precision Instruments
- Locks & Safes Fire, Safety & Traffic Products
- Salon Furniture Beauty, Personal Care & Wellness
- Pet Products Consumer Goods & Gifts
Price Trend — Kaduna
Live rate for the linked route page, shown here for a quick read before you click through.
Checking the Nigeria duty position yourself
Every duty and tax figure quoted on this page is our working estimate for planning, not a ruling. The binding rate for your consignment is whatever Nigeria Customs Service applies against your declared HS code on the day of entry, and their published guidance is the source to check before you commit stock.
Most landed-cost surprises trace back to classification rather than freight. the WCO Harmonized System defines the heading structure every customs administration builds on, and ITC Market Access Map will show you the duty a given heading attracts in this destination.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
If this is your first shipment into Nigeria, the Nigeria Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Kaduna. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Sea Freight from China: How to import from China to your country via Ocean Shipping — SINO Shipping. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.