How to Import Used Cars to Nigeria from Canada

The automobile market in developed parts of the world offers a wider variety of options when it comes to cars, prices, processes, durability, offerings, and much more. Nigeria at the moment has not peaked to the point where other countries would want to buy used cars from here in Nigeria, and ship them internationally. This is why car dealers, owners, prefer buying cars from outside the country and then import them back into the country.

As a result of the rate of development and civilization in these countries, indigenes know how to use products and stop using them and leaving them in a reusable condition for the next consumer. A major product that is easily reused by other persons is a Car. A car can be bought and used for years till the parts wear out, and these parts can be replaced and the body of the car reworked to perfection.

Canada is located in the northern part of North America, and it is widely known for its rapid development, state of security, and provision of basic amenities to its citizens. Little wonder why many Nigerians seek immigration to this country, and over the years, many Nigerians have successfully settled in Canada, away from Nigeria. Many Nigerians who migrate to Canada have relatives here in Nigeria, and so many of them send products and goods for them to trade. Again, a popular business that many Nigerians find lucrative is the Car business in Nigeria.

Daily, many Nigerians seek ways to make their lives easier and stress-free and one of the many ways is through acquiring a vehicle that can help them navigate through living in Nigeria better. To this end, Nigerians, especially, the average, and the poor, prefer buying used cars than buying brand new cars that are more expensive in price.

For exporting used cars to Nigeria from Canada, some persons prefer buying a car at a fixed price without bargaining, and others who have a tight budget prefer spending time, thoughts, and efforts bidding for cars during car auctions to get cheaper rates for their desired car.

For a car to be exported to Nigeria from Canada, it has to be transported by road to the North American customs service. Before the car can be loaded for shipment by sea, the customs have to perform a routine check on its documents.

How to export a used car to Nigeria from Canada

These steps must be followed to successfully export a car to Nigeria from Canada, especially if it is a used car.

1. Have the essential information and documents: When shipping or exporting a car to any country that isn’t the home country, some documents are very essential and cannot be overlooked. Some of these documents are:

• The model and the makeup of the car
• Chassis number of the car
• Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
• Year of vehicle manufacture (This is needed because cars manufactured more than 15 years ago are not allowed into Nigeria).
• Plan the mode of shipping the car from Canada to Nigeria.

There are two main types of shipping methods depending on your location and from where you are shipping. The two types are RoRo shipping or Container shipping.

RoRo shipping is a widely known method of shipping from Canada to other countries worldwide for cars because of its convenience. For convenience, the car can be driven in and out of the ship onto land once the ship docks. The cost of using the RoRo shipping method depends on the shipping company you patronize. But one thing is sure: your car will be exported safely from Canada to Nigeria, and it won’t be put in a container.

As the name suggests, the container shipping method involves putting the car in a container from Canada to Nigeria. Many people do not like this method because it can cause a lot of damage.

A RoRo shipping method is cheaper and faster than the Container method of shipping, but terms and conditions apply. The used car must not have damage on its body, and once it docks at the port, it must be cleared by the Nigerian customs service.

What to look for when buying a used car

When you’re looking for a used car, there are a few things to consider:

Reliability: Google is your best friend when it comes to learning about your car’s reliability. Searching for recalls and consumer reviews is your best overview of the vehicle. The price of the vehicle will also give you some insight into its reliability, as lower-priced vehicles may be at the end of their lifespan.

Vehicle History Report: Using the car’s VIN, you can run a vehicle history report on our Nigeria Vehicle Identification Number Checker. The report should come back with any serious accident claims, including fire or flood. Some car lots may spin the odometer back to increase the selling price, the vehicle history report can alert you of the real number. Some reports even show if maintenance was done on time and the locations where it was performed.

Durability: Find out whether or not any parts have been replaced, or if you have to replace any of them soon. If something needs to be replaced, it opens up space for negotiation.

Steps involved when shipping a car from Canada to Nigeria

1. Fill up a dock receipt: This is a very important document as it contains some essential information like the type of car, the owner, who it is being shipped to, and more. Once this receipt has been filled out, it is given to the shipping company.
2. Receipt processing: This contains the information that was filled in at the initial stage. It will tell you where the exact port where the car will be delivered to.
3. Make as many copies of the receipt as possible: Once the receipt has been received and processed, several copies are necessary because the shipping company will request them at the port.
4. Convey the car, documents, and receipt to the port: It is time to take the car to the port for shipping along with the necessary documents. The officer at the port will receive the car and the documents, where the documents will be officially stamped, and a copy of a stamped and duly signed receipt will be returned back to you. In that receipt, it shows the date the car was brought to the port and the items to be shipped along with the car like tyres, bumpers, steering wheel, etc.
5. Confirm the shipping schedule and follow up to ensure that the car arrives on the due date without any errors.
6. Bill for lading and clearing the shipment at Lagos: immediately notice is sent for the shipping fees to be paid, it means that the bill for lading is ready. The bill for lading is a legal document that entails the type, quantity, and destination of the car.

Once the bill of lading is received, after the shipping fees have been paid, copies of the bill will be made and immediately sent to an already-established agent in Lagos. This will help the agent to stay in contact with the customs to confirm the safe shipment of the car to Nigeria.

• Contact your agent regularly and confirm arrival: After the bill of lading has been sent to the agent, the car can arrive at any moment, so it is necessary to keep close contact with the agent to ensure everything is smooth sailing.

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