The United States sharply reduced its imports of Nigerian crude oil in January 2026, with volumes dropping by 47.16 per cent month-on-month, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Figures from the U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services report show imports fell to 1.664 million barrels in January, down from 3.149 million barrels in December—a decline of 1.485 million barrels that significantly reduced Nigeria’s share of the U.S. crude market.
In value terms, imports also dropped sharply. The customs value fell from $217.36m to $115.99m, while cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value declined from $223.10m to $118.95m. The narrower gap between both values—$2.96m in January compared to $5.74m in December—suggests lower freight or insurance costs.
The decline coincided with a broader slowdown in U.S. crude imports, which fell by 5.1 per cent to 188.21 million barrels in January. Import values also dropped, with customs value decreasing to $10.56bn and CIF to $11.15bn.
Within Africa, Nigeria lost ground to competitors. Angola’s exports to the U.S. rose sharply to 2.062 million barrels, while Ghana entered the market with 738,000 barrels. Libya’s exports, however, declined during the period.
Nigeria’s share of total U.S. crude imports dropped to 0.88 per cent in January from 1.59 per cent in December.
Crude oil remained Nigeria’s main export to the U.S., accounting for about 63 to 65 per cent of total imports valued at $183m in January, down from $297m in December.
The U.S. recorded a goods trade surplus of $419m with Nigeria in January, up from $84m in December, driven by higher American exports.
The drop in exports came despite increased production. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited reported output rose to 1.64 million barrels per day in January, even as revenue fell by 47 per cent to N2.57tn.
The development also comes amid shifting U.S. trade policies under Donald Trump, including higher tariffs on non-oil Nigerian exports, although crude oil has largely remained exempt.