Would you be surprised to know most of the cars plying Nigerian roads were actually shipped from the USA? In 2018, Nigeria was reported to have an automotive importation share of 73%. You can guess the reason for this? Nigeria is one of the countries heavily dependent on foreign goods to cater to its needs. Nigerians love good things, and this has been a major propeller of why cars- both new and used- are constantly being exported from the USA to Nigeria.
Any Nigerian can buy and ship cars from the USA to Nigeria. You just need to be willing to make the sacrifice and every other expense that comes with it; however, you can save yourself this hassle by allowing car shipping agencies to help you with the entire process.
Just in case you are wondering how I can even buy a car from the USA. This is not a hard nut to crack. You can buy a car from the USA from the comfort of your phone so long as you have an Android phone/tablet/ laptop and a good internet source. You can bid for a car from various online Auction sites and buy just the car you need after thorough research. Once you have bought your desired car, next thing is to determine how you want to ship it to Nigeria and the cost of shipping.
Method Of Shipping any Car
There are two major means you can make use of shipping your car from the USA to Nigeria.
- RoRo Shipping
Of the two shipping methods, RoRo shipping is the most affordable means to ship cars to Nigeria. It simply means Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo). Your car has to be in working condition to effectively be shipped by this method. Your car will be driven onto and off of the ship and tied to the deck for security and minimal exposure to the ocean. Arrival and departure time for RoRo shipping is more predictable compared to container shipping.
Ports that provide RoRo shipping from the USA to Nigeria
Galveston, Texas, Jacksonville, Florida, Savannah, Georgia, Portsmouth, Virginia, Bayonne, New Jersey and Baltimore, Maryland.
The vessels can arrive at this port in Lagos: Tin Can Island (Ro/Ro).
- Container shipping
Container shipping is of two types:
- Shared container shipping
- Exclusive container shipping
Shared container shipping implies your car is shipped alongside other vehicles in an enclosed container. The disadvantage to this method is that you have to wait until the container is full before you can have your car shipped. In this method, your car does not have to be a working condition, you will still get it.
Exclusive container shipping is just as the name implies. When you want special treatment for your ‘dear car’, exclusive container shipping is what you should go for as your car will be the only one in the container. Exotic cars like Bentleys, Ferraris, Aston Martins, etc are often shipped this way. However, it’s the most expensive of all the shipping methods.
Ports that provide container shipping from the USA to Nigeria
Oakland and Long Beach in California, Houston, Texas, Miami, Florida, Savannah, Georgia and Newark, New Jersey
The vessels can arrive at this port in Lagos: Apapa (container ships).
Cost Of Shipping Your Car From The USA To Nigeria
The cost of shipping is dependent on various factors. These include the type of car you want to ship, the method of transport to the shipping port, which part of the USA you plan to ship it from, and which method you choose. You can reduce the shipping cost by choosing shipping ports closer to your car dealer in the USA.
The price list from various parts of the USA is shown below;
| Departure Port to Nigeria | Approximate Price |
| Ship Car from Wilmington, Delaware to Nigeria | $970 – $1300 |
| Ship Car from Long Beach, CA, California to Nigeria | $1650 to $1850.00 (Shared container only) |
| Ship Car from Galveston, TX to Nigeria | $1095.00 – $1450 |
| Ship Car from Jacksonville, Florida to Nigeria | $995 – $1350 |
| Ship Car from Newark, New Jersey to Nigeria | $970 – $1650 |
| Ship Car from Baltimore, Maryland to Nigeria | $970 – $1350 |
| Ship Car from Savannah, Georgia to Nigeria | $995.00 – $1300 |
Documents You Need For Shipping
The US customs and Nigeria Customs will require certain documents from you before you can successfully export and import your car respectively.
To export your car from the US, American customs will require the following documents;
Bill of Sale
Original Vehicle Title
To import your car into Nigeria, the Nigerian customs will require the following documents;
- Nigerian Drivers License
- Nigerian ID documents
- Proof of address
- Proof of insurance
- e-Form ‘M’
- A filled-out plate number form
- Original invoice
- Packing list
- Combined Certificate of Value and Origin (CCVO)
- Adequate description of the imported goods
- Shipped / Clean on Bill of Landing / Railway Bill / AirBill
Also Read:
- How To Ship Cars From USA To South Africa
- Steps To Buy Any Car From USA And Ship To Nigeria
- How To Buy Your Car From USA And Ship It To Nigeria Without Seeing It
- How To Ship From China To Nigeria: Shipping Calculator
- Hyundai, Toyota, And Kia Spare Parts In Ghana
Things You Have To Know Before Shipping A Car Into Nigeria
- Vehicles older than 15 years are not accepted into Nigeria. Hence, when making the choice of a car to buy, go for cars lesser than 15 years old.
- Right-hand drive vehicles are not allowed in Nigeria, according to the 2012 National Road Traffic Regulation. Do your thorough research to be sure the car is left-hand drive.
- Calculate your total shipping cost, import duty, and other levies you have to pay. Ensure you have enough money stashed away in your account.
- Once your car has been successfully inspected by the customs, you will get a Vehicle Identification Tag (VIT) and then you have to address the Federal Road Service Commission.
- Before your car will be registered and issued a license plate, you have to provide both engine and chassis numbers, an entry certificate, the purchase receipt, ID card, or passport.
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