Containerized and break bulk shipping are two affordable ways of exporting goods to Nigeria. Here is everything you need to know about the shipping methods.
To export to Nigeria, businesses can use several methods to transport their goods. Available export routes to Nigeria include road, sea, or air freight. Sea freight is 99.5% cheaper than the other transport modes, thus making it the most popular method. This is especially true when shipping large or heavy consignments.
There are two options when using sea freight to export to Nigeria. The first method is break bulk shipping. The second option is containerized shipping. Here is how the two methods differ:
Containerized Shipping
This is a single shipment loaded and sealed in one container. The container is only opened upon arrival in Nigeria. Shipping containers vary from 20ft to 45ft in size. Container types include top rack, open top, and refrigerated containers. Refrigerated containers are particularly ideal for transporting temperature sensitive goods.
Containerized shipping can also be either full load or less than container load (LCL). Less than container load refers to when the consignment is not enough to fill up the container.
Vessel /Break Bulk Shipping
Break bulk shipping occurs when a shipment is too big to fit in a single container. It can also be called non-containerised shipping. This shipping method is ideal for companies exporting things like equipment, metals, pipes, and so on. This is the most cost-effective mode of shipping to Nigeria. However, the off-loading takes time since products are removed individually from the ship.
Now that you know the difference between containerised and break bulk shipping, you need to know the Certificates of Conformity (COC) required to ship to Nigeria. Exporters require both the Product Certificate and SONCAP Certificate. Specifically, the Product Certificate is a mandatory requirement for opening a Form M, while the SONCAP Certificate is one of the documents used to process the Pre- Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR).
For more information on shipping to Nigeria or the Product and SONCAP Certificates, please .