The United States swung to a $1.45 billion goods trade surplus with Nigeria in the first ten months of 2025, reversing a deficit position from the same period in 2024. The turnaround was driven by a sharp rise in American exports and weaker imports from Nigeria, according to data from the US Census Bureau.
Okay News reports that between January and October 2025, US exports to Nigeria climbed to $5.94 billion, while imports fell to $4.49 billion, leaving Washington with a positive balance. This contrasted with the $1.367 billion deficit recorded in the same period of 2024, marking a decisive shift in bilateral trade flows.
Monthly figures showed the surplus widening in October 2025 to $162 million, compared with $116 million in September. US exports to Nigeria fell by nearly 19% month-on-month, but imports dropped more steeply by 31.7%, widening the surplus despite weaker export volumes.
Year-on-year comparisons highlight the scale of the reversal. In October 2024, the US ran a $103 million deficit with Nigeria. By October 2025, this had flipped to a surplus, with exports rising 80% while imports slipped 7%.
On a cumulative basis, US exports to Nigeria jumped from $3.71 billion in 2024 to $5.94 billion in 2025, an increase of 60%. Imports moved in the opposite direction, falling 11.5% from $5.07 billion to $4.49 billion.
Nigeria’s performance reshaped US‑Africa trade dynamics. While Washington still recorded a $3.74 billion deficit with Africa overall, Nigeria emerged as one of the few major economies delivering a sizeable surplus. Nigeria accounted for 17.4% of US exports to Africa and nearly 12% of imports in the period.
Without Nigeria’s surplus, the US deficit with Africa would have widened to over $5.18 billion, meaning Nigeria offset close to 28% of America’s shortfall with the rest of the continent. Only Egypt delivered a larger surplus, at $5.43 billion, while South Africa and Algeria remained in deficit positions.
The broader African picture also improved on a monthly basis, with the US shifting from a $467 million deficit in October 2024 to a $523 million surplus in October 2025. Analysts noted that reduced imports were the main driver of the improvement.
These trade outcomes unfolded amid renewed protectionist rhetoric under US President Donald Trump, whose tariff‑focused policies have influenced global trade flows. Washington’s “reciprocal” tariff regime raised Nigeria’s tariff rate from 14% to 15% in August 2025, dampening demand for non‑oil Nigerian exports and reinforcing the import decline that underpinned the US surplus.
