Air or sea shipping from China to Nigeria: which is better for small importers?

How is air cargo charged from China to Nigeria?

Air cargo is charged per kilogram, but you pay on whichever is higher: the actual weight of the carton or its volumetric weight. A common volumetric formula is length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6,000, and the bigger of the two figures becomes your chargeable weight (Extensiv glossary). Carriers do not all use the same divisor, so ask your agent which one they apply.

Here is a simple example. A carton of throw pillows measures 60 × 40 × 40 cm and weighs 8 kg on the scale. The volume is 96,000 cm³, and 96,000 ÷ 6,000 = 16 kg. You pay for 16 kg, not 8 kg. That is why light but bulky goods like pillows, plastic organisers and stuffed toys become very expensive by air.

Agents also add extras on top of the base rate. Chinadojo's rate sheet (updated 22 July 2026) charges $7.8/kg plus ₦1,200/kg for normal goods from Guangzhou. The FCEL rate card on Dechaser (updated 20 January 2026) charges freight in dollars and Nigerian customs clearing separately at ₦1,500/kg. Small parcels often pay a higher rate per kg. On that same FCEL card, 1 to 10 kg costs $20.50/kg, while 20 kg and above (office pickup) costs $12.90/kg.

How is sea cargo charged, and what does CBM mean?

Small importers usually pay for sea cargo by CBM (cubic metre), which measures how much space your goods take up in a shared container. One CBM is a box 1 m × 1 m × 1 m. To find the CBM of a carton, multiply length × width × height in metres.

Take the same 60 × 40 × 40 cm pillow carton: 0.6 × 0.4 × 0.4 = 0.096 CBM. Ten of those cartons are about 0.96 CBM, which is just under one cubic metre. Minimum charges vary. GIG Logistics charges at least 0.2 CBM ($118), while port-to-port forwarders such as Goodhope Freight set a 1 CBM minimum.

With sea cargo, check what the per-CBM price covers. Chinadojo says its ₦490,000/CBM sea rate includes freight and clearing, and FCEL describes its $495/CBM sea rate as including customs clearance. Goodhope's port-to-port LCL rates of $150 to $195/CBM (updated October 2026) exclude destination port charges, customs and surcharges. They look much cheaper, but they are not an all-in price for a mini importer.

What are agents charging in 2026? (Rates as of 2026-10)

Published agent rates for consolidated air cargo to Lagos work out to about ₦11,500 to ₦19,000 per kg. For sea, they come to about ₦480,000 to ₦735,000 per CBM. Where a rate was quoted in dollars, we converted it at the official rate of about ₦1,332 per dollar (Techeconomy, mid-October 2026). Your agent may use a different exchange rate; Chinadojo's own sheet, for example, uses ₦1,450 per dollar.

Air rates by agent: - Chinadojo: $7.8/kg + ₦1,200/kg, about ₦11,600/kg. - Cargo Naija: $9.87/kg for 6 to 40 kg and $8.99/kg for 41 to 100 kg, with clearing included (page undated). That is about ₦12,000 to ₦13,100/kg. - GIG Logistics: $10.50/kg for regular items, about ₦14,000/kg. - FCEL: $12.90/kg + ₦1,500/kg clearing for 20 kg and above with office pickup, about ₦18,700/kg. Sino-Shipping's October 2026 page shows lower headline air rates of $6.1/kg and $7.40/kg (the latter in a 1,000 kg+ table), but it does not clearly say which size of shipment each applies to, so we left it out of the range.

Sea rates by agent: - Chinadojo: ₦490,000/CBM, or ₦480,000/CBM above 5 CBM. - Sino-Shipping: $435/CBM LCL, about ₦580,000. - FCEL: $495/CBM including clearance, about ₦660,000. - GIG: $550/CBM for general goods (about ₦733,000), plus VAT and insurance. Rates change with fuel costs, season and the exchange rate. Treat these numbers as a guide and get a fresh written quote from your agent before you pay a supplier.

How long does each mode take to reach Lagos?

Agents quote about 1 to 3 weeks for normal air cargo and about 2 to 3 months for consolidated sea cargo. On air, Chinadojo quotes 7 to 14 days for normal goods, FCEL quotes 7 to 10 working days for normal cargo, and GIG quotes about 10 business days for regular items. Restricted goods take longer: Chinadojo sends battery, magnet, powder and liquid items through Hong Kong in about 20 days, and FCEL quotes 15 to 25 working days for battery cargo.

Sea is much slower. Sino-Shipping puts LCL port-to-port transit at 36 to 42 days. Once you add consolidation in China, port clearing in Lagos and sorting at the agent's warehouse, the wait is longer. FCEL quotes 60 to 70 days door-to-door, GIG quotes roughly 45 to 55 working days, and Chinadojo says about 2 to 3 months. Plan sea restocks at least three months before you need the stock, especially ahead of December sales.

What is consolidation, and how does clearing work?

Consolidation means your agent's warehouse in China receives parcels from several suppliers, then packs them together with other importers' goods into one air or sea shipment. You pay only for your share of the weight or space. This is what makes mini importation possible: you can order from three different 1688 sellers and receive everything as one shipment in Lagos. If you are new to ordering this way, see our guide on how to buy from 1688 in Nigeria.

Clearing is the process of getting goods through Nigeria Customs. With mini importation agents, clearing is usually either included in the rate or charged as a separate per-kg fee. FCEL, for example, charges ₦1,500/kg for normal air goods and ₦2,500/kg for express, and its terms say government duties and VAT remain the customer's responsibility unless agreed otherwise. Before you pay, ask your agent three questions: Is clearing included? Are duties included? Is delivery to my area included, or do I pick up from the office?

Which goods should go by air and which by sea?

Ship by air when goods are small, dense, high-value or time-sensitive. Ship by sea when goods are bulky, heavy or low-margin and you can wait. Work out the cost per unit before you choose. A 10-piece carton of 60 × 40 × 40 cm pillows is charged as 16 kg by air. At about ₦12,000/kg, that is roughly ₦192,000, or ₦19,200 per pillow. The same carton is 0.096 CBM by sea. At ₦490,000/CBM, that is about ₦47,000, or roughly ₦4,700 per pillow, as long as your agent's minimum charge is not higher.

Usually better by air: - Jewellery, watches and phone accessories - Wigs, lashes and small beauty tools - Samples you are testing before a bigger order - Trending items that may lose demand in two months

Usually better by sea: - Furniture, home décor and kitchenware - Bags and shoes in bulk - Bulky baby items - Stock you sell steadily all year

To see what air freight does to your profit on a specific product, put the supplier price, weight and your selling price into the free Import2Sales Product Opportunity Checker. It estimates landed cost, profit, margin and a 0 to 100 product score. For a full breakdown of every cost, read how to calculate landed cost.

Air vs sea at a glance

The table below sums up the main differences for a small importer using a consolidation agent. Figures are rates as of 2026-10 from the agent pages cited above.

Air vs sea cargo, China to Lagos, for mini importers (as of 2026-10)

How do you sell the goods while they are on the way?

Many Nigerian sellers take pre-orders while goods are still in transit, which matters most with slow sea shipments. Post the product on WhatsApp Status with a clear arrival window, collect orders, and confirm each buyer in chat. If you want a simple page to share, Import2Sales turns your supplier link into a mobile sales page with an Order on WhatsApp button, so pre-orders and payment-on-delivery orders reach your chat directly. For more ideas, see how to sell mini importation goods on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions