How much is shipping per kg from China to Nigeria in 2026?
Updated · By the Import2Sales team
Short answer
As of October 2026, air cargo from China to Lagos runs about ₦8,000 to ₦16,000 per kg across published forwarder rate pages, depending on the agent, cargo type and whether Nigerian clearing is included. Sea is charged per CBM, not per kg. Always confirm the live rate and exchange rate with your agent before you ship.
What is the quick answer on cost per kg?
Air freight from China to Nigeria is priced per kilogram, and as of October 2026 published forwarder rate pages land in a band of roughly ₦8,000 to ₦16,000 per kg once you convert dollar quotes at about ₦1,330 to the dollar (USD/NGN history). The spread is real: a China-based forwarder, Sino-Shipping, lists air at about $6.1 per kg in its October 2026 update, while a Nigerian door-to-door forwarder, GIG Logistics, publishes $10.50 per kg for regular items.
Sea freight is not charged per kg at all. It is charged per CBM (cubic metre) for shared-container cargo, or as a flat price for a full container. That is why you cannot compare the two modes on a single per-kg number. The rest of this guide breaks down how each is charged and what the published bands look like.
How is air freight charged, and what is volumetric weight?
Air cargo is billed on chargeable weight, which is the higher of the actual weight on the scale and the volumetric weight of the carton. A light but bulky box can cost far more than its real weight suggests.
Volumetric weight for air is commonly length times width times height in centimetres divided by 6,000. A 60 by 40 by 40 cm carton works out to 16 kg even if the scale reads 8 kg, so you pay for 16 kg. Many forwarders also round up and bill anything under 1 kg as a full kilogram, as GIG Logistics states on its rate page. Before you ship, measure your cartons and ask the agent which divisor and minimum they use.
How is sea freight charged (per CBM vs per container)?
Sea freight uses two models. Shared-container (LCL) cargo is charged per CBM, so you only pay for the space your cartons occupy, usually with a minimum such as 0.2 CBM. A full container (FCL) is a single flat price for the whole 20ft or 40ft box, which only makes sense once you are shipping several cubic metres at a time.
Published LCL rates vary by source and date. GIG Logistics lists $550 per CBM for general goods (about ₦732,000), while Sino-Shipping shows $435 per CBM into Lagos (about ₦579,000) in its October 2026 update. GIG also quotes electronics at $596 per CBM and bills a minimum of 0.2 CBM, so very small sea shipments rarely pay off. GIG's page carries no effective date, so confirm it is current before you rely on it.
What are the typical per-kg bands from named forwarders?
The table below shows figures from forwarder rate pages I checked in October 2026. Naira figures convert dollar quotes at about ₦1,330 to the dollar. Treat every row as indicative, because rates move with season, fuel and cargo type, and GIG's page carries no effective date.
Notice the gap between a Nigerian door-to-door forwarder like GIG and a China-based freight-only forwarder like Sino-Shipping. The door-to-door price is higher because it bundles more of the journey, while the freight-only price is cheaper but stops at a China hub or a Nigerian airport.
China-to-Nigeria rate bands by forwarder and mode (checked October 2026; USD converted at about ₦1,330/$)
| Forwarder / mode | How it is charged | Rough band (as of 2026-10) |
|---|---|---|
| GIG Logistics — air, regular | Per kg; under 1 kg billed as 1 kg | $10.50/kg (about ₦14,000/kg) |
| GIG Logistics — air, special items | Per kg | $11.99/kg (about ₦16,000/kg) |
| GIG Logistics — sea LCL | Per CBM; min 0.2 CBM | $550/CBM (about ₦732,000/CBM) |
| Sino-Shipping — air | Per kg (lower for 1,000 kg+) | $6.1–7.40/kg (about ₦8,100–9,800/kg) |
| Sino-Shipping — sea LCL | Per CBM, Lagos Port | $435/CBM (about ₦579,000/CBM) |
| Import2Sales /check default | Per kg air assumption | ₦13,000/kg (assumption, not a quote) |
Do air rates include delivery to my state?
Usually no. Air freight rates are almost always quoted to Lagos or Abuja only, because that is where the cargo planes land and clear. Onward delivery to Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu, Ibadan or your doorstep is an extra charge, and some forwarders quote freight and Nigerian customs clearing as two separate lines.
So when an agent says a price per kg, ask two things: does it include Nigerian clearing, and does it include delivery to my city? If not, add those costs before you set your selling price. Our state-by-state mini importation hub covers how goods reach each state and what to expect for the last leg.
Where does the ₦13,000/kg figure in the checker come from?
The ₦13,000 per kg used in the Import2Sales Product Opportunity Checker is an Import2Sales default assumption for air freight, not a quote from any specific forwarder. It sits inside the real bands above so your landed-cost estimate is realistic before you have an agent's price.
When you get a real quote, replace ₦13,000 with your agent's actual per-kg rate in the checker. If you ship bulky items by sea, the per-kg cost usually drops well below that, which is the whole reason to move restocks to sea once a product sells steadily. See air vs sea shipping for when each pays off.
How do I turn shipping cost into a selling price?
Add your shipping cost to the product price and every other cost to get your landed cost per unit, then set a selling price with margin on top. Our guide on how to calculate landed cost walks through the full formula with a naira example.
Once your numbers work, build the sales page in minutes: paste your AliExpress, 1688, Temu or Alibaba link into Import2Sales and it writes a mobile-first page with a one-tap Order on WhatsApp button, ready for pre-orders or payment on delivery. Run the product through the checker first to confirm the margin is worth it.
Frequently asked questions
How much is shipping per kg from China to Nigeria in 2026?
As of October 2026, published forwarder air rates to Lagos run about ₦8,000 to ₦16,000 per kg, converting dollar quotes at roughly ₦1,330 to the dollar. Door-to-door Nigerian forwarders sit at the higher end; freight-only China forwarders are cheaper but stop short of your door. Small parcels often pay more per kg. Confirm the live rate with your agent.
Is shipping cheaper by air or sea from China to Nigeria?
Per unit, sea is almost always cheaper for bulky goods because it is charged per CBM, not per kg, and a full carton of light items ships far more cheaply by sea. Air wins for small, light, fast-selling items and when you need stock in one to two weeks. Sea often takes six to ten weeks door to door once clearing is added.
Why is sea freight charged per CBM and not per kg?
Ships sell space, not weight, so shared-container (LCL) cargo is priced per cubic metre (CBM). You pay for the volume your cartons take up, usually with a minimum like 0.2 CBM. Air, by contrast, is priced on chargeable weight. That is why you cannot compare the two modes with one per-kg number.
Does the air rate include delivery to my state?
Usually not. Air rates are normally quoted to Lagos or Abuja only, where cargo clears. Delivery to other states and your doorstep is extra, and clearing is sometimes a separate line. Always ask whether a per-kg price includes Nigerian customs clearing and onward delivery before you compare agents.
What is volumetric weight and why am I charged more kg than my goods weigh?
Air cargo is billed on the higher of actual and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is commonly length times width times height in cm divided by 6,000. A 60 by 40 by 40 cm carton counts as 16 kg even if it weighs 8 kg, so bulky but light goods cost more than the scale suggests.
Is the ₦13,000 per kg in the checker a real quote?
No. The ₦13,000 per kg in the Import2Sales checker is a default assumption for air freight, sitting inside real 2026 forwarder bands so your estimate is realistic before you have a quote. Replace it with your agent's actual rate once you have one, especially if you ship by sea, where per-kg cost is lower.
How do I confirm the real shipping cost before I import?
Request quotes from two or three forwarders using your actual carton weights, dimensions and cargo type, and ask for an all-in price that states whether Nigerian clearing, VAT and delivery to your city are included. Rates move with season and fuel, so confirm a fresh quote at booking rather than relying on any published figure.
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