Cost of importing from the USA to Nigeria using DHL

Posted by Felix Okoli on Monday May 14, 2012 10:52:47:

How much does it really cost to ship from the USA to Nigeria using DHL cargo i.e. by air?
The cost for shipping with a courier service such as DHL is mostly based on the weight and they calculate this per Kg or lbs. So based on my experience and shipping with the company, it costs about $50 on the average.

Shipping costs are mostly fixed
When shipping with DHL, as a business man or importer, you should know that this should be included as part of your product cost if you are into reselling to end retailers or users. When importing items, you should try importing them in bulk rather than just single units unless a single unit is already up to or over 1kg. When I say shipping cost is fixed cost, it simply means that even if you were importing 50g of something such as wedding rings or bracelets, it would still cost about $50 and so it's best to just beat down your shipping cost by consolidating your items per kg so you just know if it is still profitable to import the said item.

Tips to reduce your shipping costs with DHL
When shopping on online US stores, I just have to say that it's best to have a US forwarding address as most online sellers tend to use excess packaging which adds up to the weight and shipping cost of your ordered items. It is also good to ship directly to Nigeria only if you were buying from a single seller but if buying from a different set of sellers, better consolidate your items first by using a US mail forwarding service.

So in summary, to reduce shipping costs:
- Use a US mail forwarding service when buying from multiple sellers
- Consider the weight to know how many items to buy in bulk for profit
- Ship in bulk from a single seller