How to Import from China to Nigeria: 1688, Suppliers, Freight and Clearance
Talk to us about this service
Trade, import, logistics, sourcing — whatever you're planning, the fastest way to a quote is a WhatsApp message. Our team replies during Lagos business hours.
WhatsApp usYour message tells us which page you came from
Buy from China with a team on the ground
Most buyers who come to us for China have already tried it alone: a WeChat supplier who went quiet after the deposit, a sample that looked nothing like the bulk order, or a container stuck at the port because a certificate was missing. Our China team works on the ground with you, so you get the right factory, the right goods and the right paperwork, before your money leaves your account.
Where we buy in China
China’s factories are clustered by industry, so knowing which city makes what saves weeks of searching. These are the hubs we work in most.
Guangzhou
Home of the Canton Fair. Clothing, shoes, leather goods (Baiyun), hair and beauty products, and phone accessories.
Textiles & leather on Wigmore Wholesale →
Yiwu
The world’s largest small-commodity market: household goods, toys, stationery, festival and gift items, sold by the carton.
Home & garden range →
Shenzhen
Electronics, phone accessories, solar kits, batteries and LED lighting, with Huaqiangbei’s component markets next door.
Phone accessories →
Foshan
Furniture, ceramic tiles, sanitary ware, aluminium profiles and building materials for whole projects.
DIY & construction →
Phase 2 (building materials, furniture, household goods, gifts) runs 23–27 October and Phase 3 (clothing, shoes, personal care, baby products, food, bags) runs 31 October – 4 November in Guangzhou. Can’t travel? Tell us what you are looking for and our team will walk the halls for you. Send your brief.
How a China order works with us
Product, specification, quantity, target price and where it needs to land.
We look for manufacturers rather than resellers, and check business licences and export history.
Samples come to you or to our team. We visit or video-audit the factory before you commit.
Clear terms, staged payments and production updates in plain English.
We check quantity, quality and packing against your approved sample before the balance is paid.
Sea or air freight, documents prepared for your country, and delivery to your door.
Shipping from China: times and documents by destination
We ship from China to Nigeria, Ghana, the UK and the USA, where we have our own people, and to most African ports through our partners. Pick a destination to see what to expect.
China route finder
Transit times, the documents your country will ask for, and the tools that help.
Transit times are port to port in normal conditions, from Sino-Shipping (China–Nigeria and China–Ghana, October 2026; China–Africa overview, March 2026) and Cargolinked (May 2026). Door-to-door adds two to three weeks for collection, customs and delivery. Times change with routing, so we confirm them on every booking.
What our clients source from China
| Category | Typical buyers | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Phones, accessories & electronics | Retailers, phone shops, distributors | SONCAP (Nigeria) and battery shipping rules for lithium products |
| Solar panels, inverters & batteries | Installers, estates, businesses | Real panel wattage and battery cycle ratings; ask for test reports |
| Building materials, tiles & aluminium | Developers, contractors, hardware stores | Breakage in transit; insist on export-grade packing |
| Furniture & home goods | Hotels, offices, furniture shops | Volume: furniture fills containers fast, so check the cubic metres |
| Machinery & spare parts | Factories, farms, workshops | Voltage (220–240V) and the availability of spare parts locally |
| Clothing, shoes & bags | Boutiques, market traders | Sizing charts and fabric composition on every carton |
| Lighting & solar street lights | Contractors, councils, estates | Lumens and IP rating, not just “watts” |
Need something we don’t list? That is what the China team is for: send a brief below.
Tell our China team what you need
The more detail you give, the faster we come back with factory options and prices.
Your request opens in WhatsApp or your email app, ready to send. Nothing is stored on this page.
China guides on this site
How to import goods from China to Nigeria
Form M, PAAR, SONCAP, duty and clearing, step by step.
Read the guide →
Import from China to the UK
EORI, commodity codes, VAT and duty for UK businesses.
Read the guide →
Questions buyers ask us
Do you have staff in China, or do you just use agents?
What is the minimum order?
How do I pay a Chinese supplier safely?
How long does shipping from China to Lagos take?
Can you buy from Alibaba or 1688 for me?
Can you help me visit the Canton Fair?
Our sourcing hubs
Tools
Import duty calculator (Nigeria)FreeFree commercial invoice generatorFreeExport costs calculatorFreeAll trade tools
Services
Customs pre-clearance reviewFree zone logisticsPallet storage & warehousingTransport & logistics in Nigeria
Shop Wigmore Wholesale
Solar & energyShopDIY & constructionShopPhone accessoriesShopMachinery & toolsShop
Ready to source from China?
Send us your brief and our China team will come back with factory options, prices and a shipping plan.
Importing from China to Nigeria should begin with product eligibility and a clear specification, before a supplier deposit. Wigmore Trading can assess sourcing, inspection, consolidation and logistics enquiries, including products found on 1688 or other supplier platforms.
Check the product before ordering
Identify the exact item, material, condition and intended use. Have the classification, import eligibility and applicable agency requirements reviewed before purchase. A seller’s willingness to ship does not establish that the goods can legally enter Nigeria.
Some product categories and forms are restricted or prohibited. Do not use a generic label such as “personal effects” for commercial goods or understate value to obtain a lower freight or duty figure.
Buying through 1688
Record the product link, seller, model, specification, quantity, variants and delivery terms. A platform listing is a starting point for due diligence, not proof that the seller is a manufacturer or that the photographs show the bulk quality.
Clarify purchasing-agent fees, currency, domestic transport, inspection and refund responsibilities. Use a written scope for anyone buying on your behalf. Confirm the actual supplier and payment recipient through appropriate checks.
Samples and quality inspection
Approve a representative sample and written specification. Agree tolerances, packaging, labelling and what constitutes rejection. An inspection should cover the goods and lot you are actually buying, not a different sample presented by the supplier.
For human hair, specify composition, construction, length and the tests needed to assess claims. For jeans and garments, use measurements, material and size ratios. Brand names and product claims must be lawful and supported.
Freight and consolidation
Provide carton count, dimensions, gross weight, value and product description. Consolidation can combine eligible shipments, but it does not remove each product’s documentation or transport requirements. Ask who receives, counts, stores and inspects the goods before loading.
Air and sea should be compared against urgency, volume, handling and total cost. “Cheap shipping” is not useful when it excludes clearance or leaves responsibility for loss and delays undefined.
Documents and Nigerian clearance
Confirm the importer, applicable Form M and other pre-shipment requirements, conformity evidence where required, invoice, packing and transport documents with the appointed professionals. SONCAP applies to regulated imported products; exemptions and other regulators must be assessed for the actual goods.
Duty and tax estimates need a current classification, customs value and applicable charges. A 2025 rate or a general percentage cannot determine the cost of an unspecified shipment today.
Request an end-to-end assessment
Send Wigmore Trading the product links and specification, quantities, supplier location, packing information, destination and required date. Ask the team to define sourcing, inspection, shipping, clearance and delivery separately so the offer is reviewable.
No Comments Yet.
Comments are closed.