Shipping metal boxes and containers to Nigeria

Tinplate cans, metal boxes, aluminium cans and similar metal containers mostly ship empty. They are bulky and light, and nesting and packing decide the load.

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Bundled steel pipes, rebar and pre-painted coils in a port yard, with a forklift loading palletised tiles into a container

Collect at destination or choose delivery

China → Nigeria

Building materials and steel

Sea · receipt to delivery: 45 - 60 days
Air · receipt to delivery: 7 - 12 days
Clearance ports / warehouses in China: 3 ports / 5 warehouses
Fixed sailings: Weekly

Quote within 30 minutes

Shipping method
Shared or full container by sea
Container
Heavy items combined with bulky goods
Documents
SONCAP, checked by HS code
Who this is for
Contractors, building-material and steel traders

Short answer

Updated: August 2026

How do I ship metal boxes and containers from China to Nigeria?

Metal boxes and containers go by sea in a full or shared container, door to door with clearance and duties included. They are charged by volume, and the product name states material, capacity and use.

State the use for empty food-grade cans to help clearance checks.
Ship containers nested where possible; it can greatly reduce the number of containers needed.
Protect printed cans from rubbing so the print doesn't wear off.

Company profile

Best Africa Logistics

Freight forwarder from China to Africa: sea and air freight door to door with duties included, product certificates for your country, and five warehouses in China to combine and store goods.

Core strengths

10+ years China to Africa
Own clearance team in Nigeria
Every step tracked

What we do

Sea freight: full or shared container
Air freight to your door
Ro-Ro and breakbulk ships
Customs clearance
Final delivery

Clearance ports

Lagos / Kano / Port Harcourt

Addresses

Lagos warehouse 2: No. 5 Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State 101233, Nigeria
Lagos warehouse 1: No 2 Henry Carr Street, By Guinness Bus Stop, Ikeja, Lagos State 102212, Nigeria
Shenzhen warehouse: Ground Floor, Building 12, No.8 Tangwei Industrial Ave, Fuhai Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen 518103, China

Both teams and addresses

Our track record

Clearance rate (port arrival to release): 98%
Average clearance (port arrival to release): 3 days
China-Africa freight experience: 10+ years
Customers served in total: 2,000+

Nigeria door-to-door service

Free product compliance pre-check

Sea, door to door: 45 - 60 days
Air, door to door: 7 - 12 days

Counted from the day we receive your goods to signed delivery, including export declaration, clearance and delivery

Warehouses in China: Qingdao · Lianyungang · Shenzhen · Guangzhou · Yiwu
Clearance ports in Nigeria: Lagos · Kano · Port Harcourt
Transport modes: Sea FCL / LCL · Air · Ro-Ro · Breakbulk

Send your product names for a door-to-door quote

Current offers

$150 off your first order
- On freight of $3,000 or more
Claim this offer
$200 off full containers
- 3+ containers in one shipment
Claim this offer
Destination handling fee waived
- 2+ containers in one shipment
Claim this offer
3 m³ of freight free
- Shared container, 45 m³ or more
Claim this offer

Quote details

Metal boxes and containersClass 1: general cargo

Common HS codes: Iron and steel containers 7310; aluminium containers 7612. Nigeria Customs makes the final call.

What we need for a quote

01Product list and carton count from each supplier
02Material: carbon steel, galvanised, stainless steel, etc.
03Gross weight and outer dimensions per carton
04Whether wheelbarrows are knocked down and whether steel drums nest

Services

Ocean freighter loaded with containers at sea, sea freight from China to Nigeria

Sea freight, door to door, duties included

Full or shared container. Customs, freight, duties and delivery in one price.

Shenzhen → Lagos, door to door 45 - 60 days

Learn more

A quay crane unloading a 40 ft container from a ship at a Lagos container terminal

Full container to Apapa

Full containers to Apapa port, Lagos. Our Lagos team clears customs and delivers to your address.

From pickup in China to delivery in Lagos 45 - 60 days

Learn more

Warehousing and consolidation
Suppliers deliver to the warehouse nearest them. We count, photograph and measure your goods, then ship them together.
Door-to-door shipping to Nigeria
Shipping, customs, duties and delivery in Nigeria, in one price.

A port gate closed with the barrier down; behind it two containers sit fenced in the inspection area with yellow tags, while empty trucks queue alongside

Risk alert

Common risks

Where this cargo most often gets held up. We check each point before it ships.

Item 01
Cans crushed and deformed
Empty cans don't take pressure well. Weak cartons or stacking too high crushes the cans at the bottom.
Item 02
Use not stated
Food cans, chemical cans and gift boxes have different uses. Stating the use in the declaration avoids questions at inspection.
Item 03
Inconsistent product names across suppliers
The same item gets different names on different suppliers' documents. If they don't match the packing list at clearance, the goods get inspected. We check everything against one set of names when it arrives at the warehouse.

Free compliance check

Why Best Africa Logistics

Our own clearance team in Nigeria
- Not an outsourced agent · Two warehouses in Lagos · Chinese-speaking staff
- We handle SONCAP and all Nigerian import paperwork: zero document errors, no clearance pitfalls
Heavy and long cargo
- Container chosen by weight; over 6 m goes in a 40 ft or on a flat rack
- Lashing plans for flat racks and open tops; large steel lots can go by breakbulk ship

All-in price, duties included

Clear prices
No hidden fees
Goods fully insured
No other fees
10 years of steady business
Clear, documented company bank transfers

Included in the price

Pick-up around our five warehouses in Qingdao, Lianyungang, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Yiwu, or supplier delivery to the nearest one
Customs inspection, scanning and port charges, plus storage within the agreed period
Cargo insurance for the whole journey
Export declaration and bill of lading or air waybill
International sea or air freight and standard surcharges
Import clearance in Lagos, Kano or Port Harcourt, with help on Form M and PAAR
Import duty, VAT and standard levies
Local delivery to the receiver's address

Not included

Extra duty, fines and confiscation when the declared product name, quantity or value does not match the goods
Port and storage charges caused by the receiver (for example no Form M, refusal, or no contact)
Mandatory certification such as SONCAP and NAFDAC (a separate service we can handle for you)

Every step trackable

Every step from warehouse to delivery is tracked, with early warning of any problem.

Written service guarantee

Liability, compensation and time limits are written into your service agreement.

Compensation terms

How it works

Send cargo details

Get a door-to-door price
Quote within 30 minutes
Send product names, quantity, weight, volume, pickup location and destination city. We check certificate needs, then quote a price and delivery time, listing what's included.
Sign the service agreement
We agree price, delivery time, responsibilities and compensation, then sign. Any certificates start here.
Warehouse receipt and palletising
Our five warehouses receive your goods. We count, photograph, weigh and palletise them. Goods for one container are combined in one warehouse.
Export customs and departure
We file the export declaration, book space and load. After departure you get the bill of lading and arrival date.
Import clearance and duties
Our Lagos team clears the goods and pays duty and VAT, with updates until release. No need to chase a customs agent.
Delivery and proof of delivery
Our trucks deliver to your address and the signed proof of delivery is filed. Track every step in your service chat.

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