Nigeria’s $1.34B Crude Oil Exports to US Decline in 2025
Nigeria exported $1.34 billion worth of crude oil to the United States from January to May 2025, retaining its position as Africa’s top oil supplier to the US, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The 17.39 million barrels shipped marked a 12.7% volume decline from 20.4 million barrels valued at $1.52 billion in the same period of 2024, with an 11.8% drop in value. In May 2025, exports fell to 4.2 million barrels valued at $311 million, down from $368 million in April.
Despite exemptions from US import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on April 2, 2025, crude oil, which accounts for over 62% of US crude imports from Africa, faced reduced demand due to shifting US oil sourcing strategies.
Nigeria’s shipments outpaced Libya, Angola, and Ghana, whose combined exports totaled $811 million. Customs data pegged Nigeria’s oil exports at $1.34 billion, with a Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value of $1.38 billion, underscoring its key role in US-Africa energy trade.
However, Nigeria’s overall exports to the US dropped 20% to $2.12 billion from $2.65 billion in 2024, impacted by a 14% tariff on non-oil goods like agricultural produce and manufactured items. In May 2025, total US imports from Nigeria fell to $400 million from $517 million in May 2024. Conversely,
US exports to Nigeria rose 17.8% to $2.42 billion, driven by $426 million in motor vehicles and parts, flipping the trade balance to a $295 million US surplus from Nigeria’s $596 million surplus in 2024.
Nigeria’s trade competitiveness is waning, with its share of US imports from Africa at 10.8% and exports to Africa at 14.8% in 2025, trailing Egypt ($3.43 billion in US exports) and South Africa ($8.67 billion in US imports).
The decline, coupled with infrastructure and regulatory challenges, highlights Nigeria’s need to diversify exports beyond crude oil to counter global market shifts and tariff pressures.
What’s the essence ? Just fix Nigeria !.