Nigeria Export Prohibition List: What You Cannot Export in 2026

What Nigeria will not let you export: maize, timber, raw hides, scrap metal, raw rubber and antiquities. The official list, and what to sell instead.

Nigeria's export-ban list is much shorter than its import-prohibition list.

But if your product is on it, the answer is still:

do not buy it for export.

A Chinese buyer asking for Nigerian maize, scrap metal, raw hides or rough timber does not make the transaction legal.

Nigeria Customs currently lists eight prohibited export categories under Schedule 6 of the Customs tariff schedules.

Before signing a contract with an overseas buyer, check the product first.

What can Nigeria not export? #

The current Customs export-prohibition schedule covers:

• maize
• unprocessed rubber latex and rubber lumps
• raw hides and skins, including wet blue and unprocessed leather
• rough or sawn timber, subject to stated exceptions
• scrap metals
• artifacts and antiquities
• endangered wildlife and their products
• goods previously imported into Nigeria, except goods being returned after repair or for repair/return purposes as provided in the schedule

That is the list to check before discussing freight or payment.

NEPC also directs exporters to Nigeria Customs for the prohibited-export list and warns that attempts to export prohibited goods are illegal.

Maize #

Maize cannot be exported under the current prohibition schedule.

Customs lists the applicable maize HS lines under heading 1005.

For a trader, the practical rule is simple:

Do not accept an overseas maize contract because the price looks attractive and assume you will “sort the documents later.”

The product itself is prohibited.

If your Chinese buyer wants agricultural commodities, look for products Nigeria actually permits to leave and then check whether China admits them.

Unprocessed rubber latex and rubber lumps #

Nigeria prohibits export of:

unprocessed rubber latex

and:

rubber lumps

under the listed HS codes.

The important word is:

unprocessed.

If rubber is your business, the opportunity is further down the value chain.

But do not assume every processed rubber item is automatically exportable to China without additional classification and destination checks.

Get the exact HS code first.

Raw hides, skins and wet blue leather #

This is one of the bans that catches exporters.

Customs lists:

raw hides and skins

wet blue

and:

unprocessed leather

on the prohibition schedule.

So doing one early tanning stage does not automatically move the product outside the restriction.

If you are in leather, think further down the chain:

• finished leather
• belts
• bags
• footwear components
• other finished leather products

subject, of course, to the HS classification and destination-country requirements.

Rough and sawn timber #

Nigeria also prohibits specified:

rough and sawn timber.

The Customs schedule expressly gives exceptions for certain railway sleepers and furniture components.

That distinction matters.

Do not reduce the rule to:

“Nigeria bans all wood exports.”

It does not say that.

The restriction is tied to the tariff lines and product condition listed in the schedule.

So before exporting:

wooden furniture

doors

processed components

or other wood products,

confirm the exact HS classification with Customs.

Scrap metal #

Scrap metal is on the prohibition list.

Customs references the relevant scrap-metal coverage across Chapters 72–81 in the export schedule.

So if a foreign buyer sends you an enquiry for:

aluminium scrap

copper scrap

iron scrap

or:

mixed metal scrap,

do not assume the export is allowed because the material has value overseas.

Confirm the classification first.

In many cases, the better export opportunity is in a processed metal product rather than the scrap itself.

Artifacts and antiquities #

Nigeria prohibits the export of:

artifacts and antiquities.

This is not the same thing as exporting ordinary Nigerian-made crafts.

A newly manufactured:

wood carving

decorative artwork

or:

fashion accessory

is a different question from a genuine antiquity or protected cultural object.

If there is any doubt about the age, cultural significance or legal ownership of an item, do not treat it like ordinary merchandise.

Endangered wildlife and their products #

Customs also prohibits endangered wildlife and their products.

The Schedule gives examples including:

elephant, crocodile and lizard species.

This category deserves more caution than a normal export transaction.

Wildlife trade can trigger:

Nigeria's domestic wildlife laws

and:

international conservation rules.

Do not attempt to export wildlife products simply because a foreign buyer says:

“We have a market for it.”

Legality has to be established before the transaction starts.

The eighth category: goods that were imported into Nigeria #

This is the line many export guides leave out.

The current Customs Schedule 6 also lists:

“All goods imported”

with an exception for goods connected with repairs and return.

For a trader, that means you should not assume you can:

import foreign goods into Nigeria → then export them again as ordinary Nigerian export cargo.

There are separate Customs regimes for matters such as:

• transit
• temporary importation
• bonded cargo
• repairs and return
• other authorised Customs procedures

So if your business model involves re-exporting foreign-origin goods through Nigeria, speak to Customs before moving the cargo.

Do not treat an imported product as a Nigerian-origin export simply because it spent time in a Lagos warehouse.

Why does Nigeria prohibit these exports? #

Customs publishes the prohibition schedule.

It does not give a detailed policy explanation beside every item.

But the pattern is clear.

Several restrictions affect raw or minimally processed resources, while others protect:

food availability

cultural heritage

or:

wildlife.

For an exporter, the useful lesson is not to debate the policy.

It is to ask:

What higher-value version of this product can legally be exported?

Think processed, not raw #

For several prohibited categories, moving further into processing can create a different product classification.

For example:

Raw hide prohibited
→ investigate finished leather or leather goods.

Rough timber prohibited
→ investigate eligible finished wood products or furniture components.

Raw rubber prohibited
→ investigate processed rubber products.

Scrap metal prohibited
→ investigate manufactured or processed metal products.

But do not use processing as a fake workaround.

The finished product has to be genuinely classified outside the prohibited HS line.

Get the code checked before investing in processing.

Nigeria allowing export is only the first test #

This is where many exporters misunderstand the process.

There are two borders:

Nigeria has to allow the product out.

Then:

China has to allow it in.

Those are separate decisions.

NEPC's own legal guidance tells exporters to understand both Nigerian rules and the regulatory requirements of the destination country before trading.

A product can be perfectly legal to export from Nigeria and still fail at Chinese Customs.

Food and agricultural goods need a China market-access check #

China regulates imported food and agricultural products closely.

Depending on the product, you may need:

• approved market access
• quarantine requirements
• facility registration
• phytosanitary or health certificates
• Chinese importer documentation
• GACC registration

Do not sign a food-export contract simply because:

“China buys this product.”

Ask:

Can this exact Nigerian commodity currently enter China commercially?

Nigerian food facilities may need GACC registration #

NEPC is Nigeria's competent authority for China's GACC registration system for relevant overseas food manufacturers, processors and storage facilities.

NEPC says Chinese Decrees 248 and 249 require overseas food-production and storage establishments to comply with GACC registration requirements before exporting covered foods to China.

So for food:

exporter registration alone is not enough.

The facility behind the product may also matter.

Read our GACC registration guide.

Nigeria now has a confirmed aquatic-products route to China #

One recent market-access development is clear.

On 13 August 2026, Nigeria and China signed a quarantine protocol covering the export of wild aquatic products from Nigeria to China.

NAQS says the protocol creates the legal and technical framework for compliant Nigerian wild aquatic products to enter the Chinese market.

That is what genuine market access looks like:

protocol + competent authority + inspection + certification.

Not:

“My buyer says Customs will allow it.”

China's zero-tariff policy does not cancel import rules #

From 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2028, China introduced zero-tariff treatment for Nigeria and the other covered non-LDC African countries under its new preferential arrangement.

That is a major opportunity.

But understand what zero tariff means.

It means eligible Nigerian-origin goods can benefit from the preferential tariff treatment.

It does not mean:

no GACC

no quarantine

no origin proof

no product standard

or:

everything can now enter China.

Tariff and market access are different questions.

For tariff-quota products, China's Finance Ministry also says the zero rate applies within the applicable quota, while the out-of-quota rate remains unchanged.

Use our China zero-tariff guide for that side.

Do not confuse “China wants it” with “China permits it” #

A Chinese buyer can ask you for:

ginger

sesame

hibiscus

cashew

aquatic products

or almost anything else.

That enquiry is not market-access approval.

Before buying stock, ask the relevant Nigerian competent authority to confirm the current route.

For agricultural products, that can include:

NAQS

and, depending on the product:

NEPC/GACC registration channels.

Get the answer before committing money.

The four checks before quoting a Chinese buyer #

Do these in order.

1. Is Nigeria allowed to export it? #

Check the Customs export-prohibition schedule.

If prohibited:

stop.

2. Can China import it from Nigeria? #

Check the current Chinese market-access position.

Not a blog post.

Not the buyer's assumption.

3. What certification or registration is required? #

This may include:

• GACC/CIFER
• phytosanitary certification
• health certification
• facility approval
• Certificate of Origin
• other commodity-specific documents

4. Then quote the buyer #

Only after you know the transaction can legally happen should you negotiate:

price + quantity + Incoterm + payment.

That order protects you.

The exporter checklist #

Before accepting an order:

NIGERIA

✓ Product absent from export-prohibition list?

✓ Correct HS code confirmed?

CHINA

✓ Product currently has market access?

✓ Chinese importer has checked its side?

FACILITY

✓ GACC registration required?

✓ Registration active?

PRODUCT

✓ NAQS/health certification required?

✓ Inspection requirements known?

TARIFF

✓ Zero-tariff eligibility and origin requirements checked?

CONTRACT

✓ Only now is the price agreed.

If one of the first five is unclear, do not take a deposit from the buyer yet.

The short answer #

Nigeria's current export-prohibition schedule covers:

maize

unprocessed rubber latex/lumps

raw hides, skins, wet blue and unprocessed leather

specified rough/sawn timber

scrap metals

artifacts and antiquities

endangered wildlife/products

and:

goods previously imported into Nigeria, subject to the stated repair/return exception.

That last category is why the official list should be treated as eight, not seven.

And even when Nigeria permits the export, China still has to admit the product.

So the correct sequence is:

Nigeria prohibition check → China market-access check → facility/product certification → origin/tariff check → buyer contract.

Not:

buyer → deposit → buy stock → start asking Customs questions.

Next, use our step-by-step export from Nigeria to China guide.

Then check export documents from Nigeria.

And for food and agricultural goods, review GACC registration for Nigerian exporters before committing to a Chinese buyer.

First published 23 Sep 2026. Last checked 23 Sep 2026 by The ChinaBridge desk. Something here out of date? Tell us in the comments and we will fix it.