The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) on Friday announced that all international postal shipments from Nigeria to the United States will now attract a mandatory prepaid customs duty of $80 (about N122,400).
NIPOST’s Director of Corporate Communications, Ibrahim Musa, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja. He explained that the measure was in line with an Executive Order by the U.S. government, which suspended duty-free exemptions on global postal shipments.
“Effective August 29, all non-document postal items—including parcels and packages—destined for the U.S. will attract the fixed charge of USD $80 or its Naira equivalent,” the statement read.
Musa clarified that while the charge was technically a U.S. customs duty, NIPOST had been mandated to collect it from customers at the point of acceptance in any postal outlet in Nigeria.
The official noted that the policy was not targeted at Nigeria alone, stressing that postal operators worldwide were affected. He also warned that international cargo carriers were adopting stricter measures, which could result in extended transit and processing times.
“This new charge and its associated delays mark a fundamental change in the cost and speed of sending parcels to the United States from Nigeria. All U.S.-bound shipments will be subject to additional customs inspections upon arrival,” Musa added.
