U.S. Imports of Nigerian Crude Decline in Early 2026 Amid Supply Disruptions and Shifting African Trade Flows
In the first quarter of 2026, the United States imported approximately $578.78 million worth of crude oil from Nigeria, marking a 15.06% decline compared to the same period in 2025.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis indicates a notable contraction in both value and volume of imports from the West African producer.
During Q1 2025, U.S. crude imports from Nigeria stood at $681.40 million, reflecting a stronger level of trade activity year-on-year.
Decline in Volume and Value
In terms of physical shipments, the United States imported 7.84 million barrels of Nigerian crude in Q1 2026, down from 8.44 million barrels in the same period of 2025.
This represents a 7.03% decrease in volume, or approximately 0.59 million barrels fewer.
A sharper month-to-month decline was recorded within the quarter:
- February 2026: 4.64 million barrels
- March 2026: 1.54 million barrels
This drop suggests a significant short-term disruption in supply flows or demand adjustments.
The value of imports also mirrored this trend. The cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value of Nigerian crude imports fell from $345.33 million in February 2026 to $114.49 million in March 2026, indicating reduced trade activity over the month.
A similar pattern was observed in customs valuation (excluding freight and insurance), with Nigeria’s year-to-date crude export value to the U.S. totaling $561.69 million in 2026, down from $663.79 million in 2025 a decline of $102.10 million or 15.38%.
Nigeria Remains Key African Supplier Despite Declining Share
Despite the downturn, Nigeria continued to rank among the leading African suppliers of crude oil to the United States. Nigerian light sweet crude remains important to U.S. refineries due to its quality and refining compatibility.
However, Nigeria’s share of total U.S. crude imports from Africa declined significantly. African crude imports into the United States rose overall to $1.66 billion in Q1 2026, up from $1.10 billion in Q1 2025.
Within that broader expansion, Nigeria’s share fell from approximately 61.7% in Q1 2025 to 34.8% in Q1 2026, reflecting increased competition from other producers, particularly Libya and Ghana.
Production Constraints and Pipeline Disruptions
Operational challenges in Nigeria’s oil sector contributed to reduced output during the period. According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC Ltd), disruptions to key infrastructure had a material impact on production levels.
A reported outage on the Trans Forcados Pipeline, caused by a leak along the Keremor axis, led to production constraints across multiple oil assets between February 20 and March 25.
These disruptions were compounded by other operational issues, further limiting export capacity during the quarter.
While Nigeria remains a significant supplier of crude oil to the United States, early 2026 data shows a clear decline in both export value and volume.
The downturn reflects a combination of domestic production challenges and shifting trade dynamics within Africa’s broader crude oil export market.
