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BEST AFRICA LOGISTICS
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Shipping steel drums to Nigeria

Empty steel drums take a lot of space and weigh little. Whether open-head drums can nest decides how many fit in a container.

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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 steel drums from China to Nigeria?

Steel drums go by sea in a full 40HQ, door to door with clearance and duties included. The container is planned by number of drums and whether they nest, and charged by volume.

  • Open-head drums can nest; closed-head drums can't, and the load differs a lot.
  • Declare new and used drums separately; for used drums, state whether they have been cleaned.
  • State it if the drums are coated inside or out.

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+
NigeriaGhanaTogoCôte d'IvoireSenegalMoroccoAlgeriaTunisiaEgyptEthiopiaKenyaTanzaniaSouth AfricaChina

Nigeria door-to-door service

  1. 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
ChinaNigeria

Current offers

Quote details

  • Steel drumsClass 1: general cargo

Common HS codes: Iron and steel drums 7310. Nigeria Customs makes the final call.

What we need for a quote

  1. 01Product list and carton count from each supplier
  2. 02Material: carbon steel, galvanised, stainless steel, etc.
  3. 03Gross weight and outer dimensions per carton
  4. 04Whether wheelbarrows are knocked down and whether steel drums nest

Services

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: Full container to Apapa
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.

  1. Item 01

    Quoting by weight

    Empty drums are light and bulky. Estimating by weight badly underestimates the number of containers, so give the number of drums and the size of each when asking for a quote.

  2. Item 02

    Drums crushed

    Stacking too many layers crushes the drums at the bottom. Limit the layers to what the drums can bear.

  3. 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

  1. 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.

  2. Sign the service agreement

    We agree price, delivery time, responsibilities and compensation, then sign. Any certificates start here.

  3. 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.

  4. Export customs and departure

    We file the export declaration, book space and load. After departure you get the bill of lading and arrival date.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

Related guides

Shipping steel drums to Nigeria: FAQ

How many 200-litre steel drums fit in a 40HQ?

It depends on whether they are open-head and nest, and on the drum size. Send us the specification and quantity and we give you a loading plan.

Can used drums that held chemicals be shipped?

You need to state what they originally held and provide a cleaning certificate, with an MSDS if needed. We check and then arrange it.

Can hardware from several factories go in one container?

Yes. Ask each supplier to deliver to the same warehouse. After arrival we count, photograph and measure everything, then load it together.

Not sure which documents you need? See the clearance document checklist or send us your product names.

See all questions

Connect Africa & ChinaDeliver Opportunities

Best Africa LogisticsShipping from China to Africa

Get a quote for steel drums

Not sure what to send? A product name and your destination city are enough to start. We send a quote within 30 minutes, the same day.

WhatsApp / Phone (Nigeria)
Business hours
Mon to Sun, 2:00 - 17:00 Lagos time (WAT)
Lagos warehouse 1
No 2 Henry Carr Street, By Guinness Bus Stop, Ikeja, Lagos State 102212, Nigeria
Lagos warehouse 2
No. 5 Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State 101233, Nigeria
Head office, China
Ground Floor, Building 12, No.8 Tangwei Industrial Ave, Fuhai Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen 518103, China
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Goods category (select all that apply)
  • Mon to Sun, 2:00 - 17:00 Lagos time (WAT)
  • Free compliance check
  • Used only for this quotation