The United States spent $578.78 million on crude oil imports from Nigeria in the first quarter of 2026, marking a significant decline compared to the $681.40 million recorded in the same period of 2025, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The figures, contained in the March 2026 international trade report, show that U.S. imports of Nigerian crude oil fell by $102.62 million, representing a 15.06 percent year on year decrease. The drop reflects cing global energy dynamics and adjustments in supply and demand patterns.
U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the United States imported 7.84 million barrels of crude oil from Nigeria in the first quarter of 2026, down from 8.44 million barrels in the same period of 2025. This represents a decline of 0.59 million barrels or 7.03 percent.
On a monthly basis, imports showed a sharp contraction, falling from 4.64 million barrels in February 2026 to 1.54 million barrels in March 2026, suggesting either reduced demand or supply disruptions within the period.
The value of imports followed the same trend, with the cost, insurance and freight CIF value dropping from $345.33 million in February to $114.49 million in March 2026. Customs value, which excludes freight and insurance, also declined to $561.69 million in 2026 from $663.79 million in 2025.
Despite the decline, Nigeria remains one of the key African suppliers of crude oil to the United States, although its share of total African exports has reduced significantly. In the first quarter of 2026, Nigeria accounted for about 34.8 percent of U.S. crude imports from Africa, down from 61.7 percent in the same period of 2025.
Overall U.S. crude imports from Africa rose to $1.66 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from $1.10 billion in 2025, indicating a shift in supplier contributions across the continent, with countries like Libya and Ghana gaining increased market share.
Nigeria’s crude oil, particularly its light sweet grades, continues to play an important role in U.S. refining systems despite the declining volumes.
Data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited shows that crude oil sales also fell sharply during the period, dropping to 17.37 million barrels in March 2026 from 22.85 million barrels in February and 25.75 million barrels in January.
Production remained relatively le at 1.56 million barrels per day in March compared to February, but still reflects underlying operational challenges. The company attributed some of the disruptions to pipeline issues, particularly the Trans Forcados Pipeline outage caused by a leak at the Keremor axis, which affected output across several facilities.
NNPC stated that it is implementing recovery measures aimed at improving asset reliability, resolving evacuation bottlenecks, and ilizing production performance across key oil fields.
The overall data points to a shifting global oil market where Nigerian crude remains relevant but faces increasing competition and logistical constraints affecting output and export consistency.
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