US crude imports from Nigeria fell by 15% in Q1 2026 amid lower shipments, pipeline outages and shifting global trade flows

The United States spent $578.78 million on crude oil imports from Nigeria in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 15 per cent decline from the $681.40 million recorded during the same period in 2025.

Also read: NUPRC flags weak crude supply to refineries despite $5.17bn offers

The figures, released in the March 2026 international trade report by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, showed a notable slowdown in US crude imports from Nigeria despite the country retaining its place among Africa’s key oil suppliers to the American market.

According to the report, the value of Nigerian crude imported by the U.S. on a Cost, Insurance and Freight basis fell by $102.62 million year-on-year.

Import volumes also declined during the period, with the U.S. purchasing 7.84 million barrels of crude oil from Nigeria between January and March 2026, compared to 8.44 million barrels in the corresponding period of 2025.

The data represented a drop of 0.59 million barrels, equivalent to 7.03 per cent.

On a monthly basis, imports weakened sharply between February and March 2026. U.S. crude purchases from Nigeria dropped from 4.64 million barrels in February to 1.54 million barrels in March, signalling softer demand and possible supply adjustments.

The CIF value of Nigerian crude imports also declined significantly from $345.33 million in February to $114.49 million in March.

Customs value figures, which exclude freight and insurance costs, mirrored the downward trend. Year-to-date customs value stood at $561.69 million in 2026, compared to $663.79 million in the same period of 2025.

Although Nigeria remained one of the continent’s dominant exporters to the U.S., its share of African crude imports into the American market declined sharply.

Total U.S. crude imports from Africa rose to $1.66 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from $1.10 billion in 2025, reflecting changing supply patterns among African producers.

Nigeria’s share of African crude exports to the U.S. fell to about 34.8 per cent in Q1 2026 from roughly 61.7 per cent a year earlier, as suppliers such as Libya and Ghana expanded their presence in the market.

Despite the decline, Nigerian light sweet crude grades continued to maintain strategic relevance within the American refining system.

Meanwhile, operational challenges in Nigeria’s oil sector also contributed to weaker export performance.

Figures from the latest monthly report of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited showed that crude oil sales fell to 17.37 million barrels in March from 22.85 million barrels in February and 25.75 million barrels in January.

The report added that crude oil production remained unchanged at 1.56 million barrels per day in March compared to February, although output improved slightly from 1.51 million barrels per day recorded in January.

NNPC attributed part of the disruption to operational setbacks affecting the Trans Forcados Pipeline.

“The Trans Forcados Pipeline outage, resulting from a leak at the Keremor axis, negatively impacted production volumes,” the company stated.

The company said it was pursuing recovery measures aimed at improving asset reliability, resolving evacuation constraints and stabilising production volumes.

Also read: NNPC increases crude supply to Dangote Refinery

The latest figures underscore the growing pressure on Nigeria’s oil sector as shifting global energy trade patterns, infrastructure disruptions and rising competition continue to reshape export flows.