US has recorded $1.45bn Trade Surplus with Nigeria in 2025 as exports surge and imports fell.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the United States recorded a $1.45 billion goods trade surplus with Nigeria in the first ten months of 2025, reversing a deficit position from the same period last year, according to data released by the US Census Bureau.
The data showed that between January and October 2025, US exports to Nigeria rose sharply to $5.94 billion, while imports from Nigeria declined to $4.49 billion, leaving Washington with a positive trade balance of $1.45 billion.
This marks a significant turnaround from the $1.367 billion trade deficit recorded in the corresponding period of 2024, reflecting a major shift in bilateral trade flows between both countries.
On a monthly basis, the trend remained positive for the United States. In October 2025 alone, the US posted a trade surplus of $162 million with Nigeria, exporting goods worth $532 million and importing $369 million. This exceeded the $116 million surplus recorded in September, representing a month-on-month improvement of $46 million.
However, the wider surplus was driven more by falling imports than rising exports. Between September and October, US exports to Nigeria fell by $124 million, or 18.9%, while imports from Nigeria dropped more sharply by $171 million, or 31.7%, widening the surplus despite lower export volumes.
Year-on-year data highlights the scale of the reversal. In October 2024, the US recorded a $103 million trade deficit with Nigeria, exporting $295 million and importing $398 million. By October 2025, this had flipped to a $162 million surplus, with exports rising by $237 million, or 80.3%, and imports declining by $29 million, or 7.3%.
Cumulatively, US exports to Nigeria increased from $3.71 billion in the first ten months of 2024 to $5.94 billion in 2025, an increase of $2.23 billion or 60.2%. Over the same period, imports from Nigeria fell by $582 million, or 11.5%, from $5.07 billion to $4.49 billion.
Nigeria’s performance also reshaped broader US-Africa trade dynamics. While the US still recorded a year-to-date goods trade deficit of $3.74 billion with Africa as a whole, Nigeria emerged as one of the few major African economies where the US posted a sizeable surplus.
Total US exports to Africa stood at $34.08 billion in the first ten months of 2025, compared with imports of $37.82 billion. Nigeria accounted for $5.94 billion of US exports to the continent, representing about 17.4%, while supplying $4.49 billion in imports, or roughly 11.9% of total US imports from Africa.
In October alone, Nigeria contributed about 15.6% of US exports to Africa and 12.8% of imports, accounting for roughly 31% of Africa’s total US trade surplus for the month. Without Nigeria’s $1.45 billion year-to-date surplus, the overall US trade deficit with Africa would have widened to about $5.18 billion.
Among major African trading partners, only Egypt delivered a larger surplus to the US in 2025, with a $5.43 billion surplus. Nigeria ranked second, ahead of Algeria and South Africa, which both remained in deficit positions. South Africa continued to weigh heavily on US-Africa trade, posting a $9.22 billion deficit, while Algeria recorded a $1.09 billion deficit.
The broader African trade picture also improved on a monthly basis. In October 2024, the US recorded a $467 million trade deficit with Africa, but by October 2025 this had shifted to a $523 million surplus, a swing of $990 million within one year. As with Nigeria, the improvement was largely driven by reduced imports rather than stronger exports.
The trade outcomes occurred amid renewed protectionist rhetoric and tariff-focused policies under US President Donald Trump. While the data do not directly link Nigeria’s figures to tariffs, the surplus coincided with the implementation of a “reciprocal” tariff regime that raised Nigeria’s tariff rate from 14% to 15%.
The executive order, signed in late July and effective from August 7, 2025, applies to a wide range of non-oil Nigerian exports, although crude oil remains largely exempted. Analysts note that the higher duties have introduced uncertainty for US importers and may have dampened demand for Nigerian non-oil goods, reinforcing the decline in imports that underpinned the US trade surplus.