🇳🇬 Import Used Cars from China to Nigeria — Prices, Duty and Shipping

Why Nigeria is worth the duty

Nigeria is the largest used-vehicle market in West Africa by a wide margin. It is English-speaking, drives on the right, and Lagos has the region’s highest sailing frequency from Chinese ports — which matters when you are running repeat orders rather than one shipment.

The complication is duty, and we would rather lead with it than bury it. Nigeria stacks import duty, levy, VAT, ETLS and port charges on CIF value, with Customs applying its own valuation. On a used SUV the combined figure commonly runs between half and two thirds of CIF. That makes duty the largest single line in your landed cost — roughly three times your freight bill.

Model the landed number before you order. This is where deals get lost, and it is not a line item you can discover afterwards.

What it costs to land a car in Nigeria

Each row is priced from a real unit in current stock, not a rounded example.

Duty figures are estimates at roughly 50-70% of CIF. Confirm the current number with your clearing agent before you quote a customer — it is the figure that decides whether your margin exists.

The Atto 3 figure assumes no EV concession. Nigeria has signalled duty concessions for electric vehicles, but their administration varies in practice, so any relief is upside rather than something to price on.

Ghana costs less. Nigeria sells more.

The same 2022 Tiggo 8 Pro 290T lands near $15,938 in Tema and $19,709 in Lagos. Freight accounts for $400 of that gap; the rest is duty. If you are optimising margin per unit, Ghana is easier. If you are optimising volume, Nigeria has several times the demand depth — particularly for 7-seat SUVs, which is exactly where the Tiggo 8 Pro sits.

Ports and shipping

Apapa (Lagos) is our default quoting port; Tin Can Island is available at similar rates. Sailing is 30-40 days from Guangzhou Nansha. A 40HQ container to Apapa currently quotes at $6,000-6,500 and holds three cars, so we budget $2,400 per unit — the high end of the range divided by three, plus a 10% allowance for rate movement.

Rules worth knowing before you order

Left-hand drive only — Nigeria drives on the right.

Form M and PAAR pre-clearance documentation is required. Your clearing agent files it; we supply the commercial invoice and shipping set it references.

Vehicle age restrictions apply to used imports and are enforced at valuation. This works in favour of newer stock: a 2023 unit is not just a better car than a 2013 one, it is often cheaper to clear.

On every unit we issue the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, export certificate and China de-registration paperwork.

Who buys from us in Nigeria

Lagos and Abuja dealers importing by the container. Fleet buyers serving corporate and government contracts. Ride-hailing and logistics operators replacing ageing stock. Container-quantity orders are routine on the Haval H6, where Chinese supply is deepest.

Common questions

Q: How much does it cost to import a car from China to Nigeria? A: Between roughly $17,837 and $21,347 landed depending on model, for 2-4 year old SUVs. That is FOB Nansha plus $2,400 freight to Lagos plus duty at roughly 50-70% of CIF. The table above breaks it down per model.

Q: Why is Nigerian duty so much higher than Ghana’s? A: Nigeria stacks import duty, levy, VAT, ETLS and port charges on CIF at Customs’ own valuation, which commonly totals 50-70% against Ghana’s 30-35%. It is the single biggest line in your landed cost.

Q: How long does shipping take? A: 30-40 days from Nansha to Apapa or Tin Can Island, plus clearance. Add one to four weeks for sourcing a specific year and trim.

Q: Are the cars left-hand drive? A: Yes, every one, as built in China. Nigeria drives on the right, so LHD is correct and no conversion is needed.

Q: Which model sells best in Nigeria? A: The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, because Nigerian demand for 7-seat SUVs is strong and nothing else at that price is this new. For volume at lower landed cost, the Haval H6.

Q: Can I inspect the car before paying? A: Yes. We arrange third-party inspection before payment, and you get the full report.