The cost of shipping from China to Nigeria can be cheaper when you contract the right freight forwarder for your air, rail or sea goods transportation. Some of which are shipping agents that will not compromise on quality to give you a safe and timely delivery of your cargo to and fro Lagos, Portharcourt or Warri.
Although the China to Nigeria route is dominated by many shipping companies for you to choose from, the best with competitive prices are what you deserve to know and ship with. I am talking about affordable companies that have garnered years of experience in the business which you can always bank on and not to risk your goods with.
The Asian country, China is one of the world’s biggest exporters of affordable goods that range from electronics, automobiles, textile (clothing) materials, household items, gadget, machinery, tools and equipments. A lot of Nigerian traders have leveraged the price difference to import commodities and sell at a higher price so as to meet growing demands for these products in the country.
For your information, China and Nigeria have a list of goods allowed for import or export in/out of their territories. To be sure, visit the Nigerian customs service or contact your shipping agents in the market for which goods are contraband or legal to transport so that it doesn’t get seized by the customs at the border upon arrival or even make you pay more than you budgeted for.
Shipping Companies from China to Nigeria
Before onloading your 10ft, 20ft or 40ft container or any package for movement with available carriers or shipping companies in 2023, there are things you need to know. 1 is that only two means of transportation between Nigeria and China are possible and that is sea & air freight. 2 is that sea freight is slower and cheaper than air freight in any port around the world. 3 is that you may need cargo shipping insurance to bear the risk of eventualities en route.
On the other hand, there is a shipping method commonly called Express shipping commonly utilized by e-commerce marchants, mini importers and drop shippers who want nothing but the fastest delivery within the shortest possible time. To give you a clearer picture, we have therefore grouped all of these companies into 4 categories according to where they have the most specialty.
1. Cheapest Air Freight companies
Air freight involves the use of aircrafts by forwarders to convey goods from one port to another. It is one of the fastest means of transportation but tends to be expensive compared to ocean freight.
Although shipping rates very from one company to another, the average cost of air freight from China to Nigeria is about ₦7.5 per kg and $470 per CBM (inclusive of handling and clearing at ports). Shipping by air takes an average of 4 to 6 days transit time to ship from China to Nigeria.
Winsky Freight
Winsky is a freight forwarder well-known for its shipping services from China to Nigeria. The company has one of the fastest clearance history in the industry and is regularly equiped wit policies made by the Nigerian customs services to stay fit in business.
It is one of the cheapest in that customers get door to door delivery with documentation and handling carried out by experts no matter the category of goods in question.
Contact phone: 86 0755-36640610.
Hezel Links shipping
From collection to delivery to your doorstep, Hezel remains one of the best air freight companies in the industry asides being affordable. The mind-blowing thing about them is that they have a delivery solution in place aimed at rendering you the services you want within your own budget.
Interestingly, right from China, your goods will be shipped to the Nigerian state where you can easily collect them and all of these services are calculated using their agents competitive pricing method.
Minimum air cargo weight is 30kg.
Contact phone: +447459051571
Hart Logistics
From its base in Shenzhen, China, Hart logistics since its inception in 2015, ensures uninterrupted supply of goods around the world and this is done at a competitive price too.
Looking for a reliable freight forwarder with years of experience, Hart answers the call with its outstanding import and export logistics services.
Contact phone: +86 4000 369 586.
Cargo Naija
The air freight company known as Cargo Naija ships from notable Chinese ports to Nigeria at a cheaper price. It also engages in services such as customs clearing of air shipments for its customers.
Cargo Naija guarantees a maximum of 3 days to move goods from the Asian country to Lagos and that is the fastest in the industry. But for any other Nigerian state, about 5 days will be required to effect delivery. Interestingly, you can track goods en route.
An average of 1kg to 2 kg of goods in weight will cost you $14.99 USD including freight cost and clearing. As cheap as things can ge, the price decreases with an increase in the weight. On the other hand, 3 to 5kg costs you $6.99 only.
Contact phone: 02039045521.
Air Cargo China
This company is one of the biggest shipping companies domiciled in China. It doubles as one of the cheapest air cargo companies to go with. It is the most reputable and popular of all the above-listed organizations.
Air Cargo China was established in 2003 and since has a fleet of air planes to its name that aids quick and efficient delivery for shippers satisfaction. As a leader in the industry, it offers incentives for damages, late delivery, loss etc.
Contact phone: 0086-10-61465599.
Address: No. 29 Tianzhu Road, Tianzhu Airport Economic Development Zone, Beijing, 101318, P.R. China.
2. Cheapest Sea freight companies
Ocean freight also known as shipping by sea is the cheapest means of transportation that has been in existence for ages. It has been a means of conveying goods through water bodies from one point to another, coast to cost and from one county to another.
As affordable as sea shipping rates are, it comes with its own disadvantages which is that it is slower than air freight. The average cost of sea freight from China to Nigeria is about ₦5.4 per kg and $212 per CBM (additional ₦500 naira for clearance). Shipping by air takes an average of 30 to 45 days transit time to safely arrive. You can use any of the following.
COSCO Shipping Line
COSCO is not a new name in the shipping business. If not for anything, it is famous for its branded container units, vessels used for carrying heavy goods from manufacturers to consumers and from point of sale to that of consumption.
The dry bulk operators or carriers as you would like to call it is owned by the Chinese government which has a major market share in the industry around the globe and Nigeria is not an exception.
Like most Chinese products, COSCO is very affordable to ship with and that’s highly recommended.
Contact phone: 86-21-35124888.
It was established in 2016 and has its office in Hongkou District in Shanghai, the headquarters address is No.378, Dong Da Ming Road, Shanghai
Maersk Shipping
Just like COSCO, Meaersk is well known in Hong Kong or Nigeria for its large-scale shipping containers in Lagos, Onitsha, Kaduna, Kano, Abuja etc. With the use of its vessels, Maersk which happens to be one of the biggest shipping companies in the world today, provides shipping services to Nigerian exporters and importers at cheaper rates, thereby connecting Chinese entrepreneurs to the world.
You can reach out to Maersk for sales and inquiries using the following contact details:
Phone number: +86 532 80951000.
Office Address: No. 24 Middle – East Third Ring Road, Chao Yang District, 100022, Beijing, China.
CMA CGM Shipping
CMA CGM shipping best known as CMA is a french vessel transportation company with huge presence as one of the top and largest carriers around the world. With its ship fleet, it ranks as the 4th most successful and popular shipping companies in the world 2023 with presence in over 160 countries and 250 shipping routes.
CMA is an abbreviated for of Compagnie Maritime d”Affrètement which was established in 1978 and happens to be one of the oldest of its kind. Its French liner in Nigeria is owned by CMA CGM Group with headquarters in Lagos coupled with some branches in Onne and Kano.
Contact phone: +234 803 975 6631 and +234 1 7002790.
Address: Leventis Building 2 Wharf Road, Apapa, Lagos state.
Mediterranean Shipping Company
MSC as you may know it is a privately owned (family-run enterprise) international provider of logistics services. The company is peculiar in that it provides an integrated network of sea, rail and road solutions to perishable products that may need quick delivery, home appliances, cars etc.
MSC has its presence ports terminal investments in over 155 countries of the world making it a leading organization in the international container shipping business. Good thing is that delivery needs can be fine-tuned to meet customers goals. You can start by contacting them, rates are affordable
Contact phone: +41 227038888.
Address: 41 Creek Road, Apapa 102272, Lagos.
Eazee Cargo and Haulage
In partnership with its Guernsey-based sister logistics company known as Lucas Cargo, Eazee cargo offers it’s customers services that range from free consultation on goods procurement, warehouse services to cost-effective shipping solution and customs formalities thereof.
Eazee cargo is a privately owned clearing and forwarding company with grassroot delivery presence in Lagos. You can notice that from its offices in Airport Road, Oshodi, Trade Fair, Tinubu Square, Alaba & Ajah all in Lagos and another branch in Onitsha, Anambra state.
Contact phone: 09030131433.
Address: NO 1 Ola Adeshile Street beside Stop over Hotel by Airport Road, Ajao Estate, LAGOS.
3. Express shipping companies
Since this is the fastest form of delivery method, Express shipping is normally utilized to move perishable cargo that depends on limited time to attain expiration. Express is in essence an air freight with dedicated services rendered to each cargo onboard, and as expected, it is the most expensive means at about $20 per kg.
Some of the cheapest and most popular Courier companies known for running this style of delivery are
- DHL
- FedEx
- UPS
- EMS
- China post
They are best known for the kind of door to door services they provide to their customers on a daily basis. On an average, transit time for Express shipping range between 1 to 4 days.
4. Rail shipping
In most cases, a successful delivery cuts across sea, air and road depeion which is most suitable at eveypoint in time. After flying your packages into a give county, Rail transport aid in transporting bulky goods from one state to another and interestingly, most of the companies we discussed above with branches in Shanghai, Qingdao, Hong Kong, Qingdao, Shenzhen Tianjin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Yingkou and Dalian etc offer rail road solutions to their shipments.
Cost of Shipping Containers from China to Nigeria 2023
The cost of shipping containers to and fro China from Apapa or Tincan Island port in Lagos differ by means of transportation, quantity & type of cargo, logistics company, and other minor variables like whether it is LCL and FCL.
Below is the price of shipping from China.
Price of 40ft shipping container
| Onloading Port | Shipping Price |
|---|---|
| Shanghai to Lagos Nigeria | $4,400 |
| Guangzhou to Lagos Nigeria | $5,550 |
| Tianjin to Lagos Nigeria | $5,000 |
| Ningbo-Zhoushan to Lagos Nigeria | $4,900 |
| Qingdao to Lagos Nigeria | $4,700 |
| Xiamen to Lagos Nigeria | $4,450 |
The the average cost of shipping a 20ft container in the year 2023 is $2,950 (FCL) while that of 40ft container size has been tabled above. Meanwhile, LCL mean Less than container load while FCL means full container load. In the same vein, Groupage shipping is a collection of cargo from more than one customer to be assembled into one vessel usually to decrease shipping costs while CBM is the short form for Cubic meter.
Top 20 Shipping Agents from China to Nigeria
Inclusiof the ones we discussed in this review, here is a groundbreaking list of the top 20 freight forwarders.
- Cathay Pacific Airlines
- SkyCargo shipping
- Cargolux Airlines
- Winsky Freight
- Lufthansa Airlines
- Value Handlers International Ltd
- Hart Logistics
- Maersk shipping
- Eazee Cargo
- Hezel links
- Bansar China
- Cargo Naija
- CMA CGM shipping
- Mediterranean Shipping Company
- DHL express
- Air Cargo China
- COSCO shipping
- China Oost
- FedEx
- EMS
Feel free to contact any shipping company of your choice, the are the best for this task as they were carefully handpicked by us.
