Where do these duty and levy rates come from?
From the official ECOWAS Common External Tariff schedule as applied in Nigeria — all 6,515 lines are searchable above, each with its import duty (0–35%), VAT treatment (including exempt goods), and any product levy (up to 65% on the most protected items like sugar and rice). Government adjusts lines periodically via supplementary gazettes, so treat a surprising rate as a prompt to confirm with the desk, not a final answer.
Why is there a whole section of port charges most calculators don't show?
Because they're real, and they're routinely the gap between a paper estimate and what clearing actually costs: shipping-line fees, terminal handling, examination, storage, escort, gate passes. These defaults are the working figures from our own clearing worksheet by container size — which is exactly why every one is editable, and why our note on the sheet says charges vary slightly between terminals.
What's CISS, ETLS, and the surcharge?
The standard trio around the duty itself: CISS is the 1% Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme charge on FOB value; ETLS is the 0.5% ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme levy on CIF — which is why the calculator removes it when your goods originate within ECOWAS; and the 7% surcharge applies on the duty amount. VAT then applies on the whole stack (CIF + duty + CISS + surcharge + ETLS).
Why does the container deposit get subtracted at the end?
Because it's yours: shipping lines take a refundable deposit against the container's safe return, so it's cash you must have on the day but not a true cost of your goods. The calculator shows the grand total you'll pay out and the final landed cost after the deposit comes back — budgeting honesty most estimates skip.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No — the entire tariff schedule is built into this page and everything computes in your browser. Nothing you type leaves your device except the WhatsApp message you choose to send.
