The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has put into effect a new prepaid customs duty fee for Nigerians sending parcel to the United States. Nigerians sending packages to the U.S. will now pay $80 (or its Naira equivalent) in customs duty fee.
However, letters and documents are exempt from the new $80 prepaid customs duty, meaning only parcels are affected by the directive. The fee comes in response to a U.S. Executive Order that removed the duty-free exemption previously allowed for low-value postal shipments.
NIPOST explicitly made it clear in a public notice issued today, Friday, August 29, 2025, that the customs duty fee is not unique or limited to Nigeria only; the agency said it also affects all countries covered by the U.S. directive issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The U.S. directive mandates all postal operators and designates postal administrations in any country to charge customs duty levy before dispatch.
NIPOST also made it clear that global logistics operations are being disrupted by the U.S. directive because airlines and cargo carriers will need to implement stricter procedures for U.S.-bound parcels. So, this could cause delays in both transit and processing time, making the overall delivery slow.
However, NIPOST assures Nigerians that it has engaged with some stakeholders—including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and airline partners—to mitigate the disruptions which the suspension of the de minimis rule has (or will) caused.
