US Crude Imports from Nigeria Fall 15% in Q1 2026

The United States spent $578.78m on Nigerian crude oil imports in the first quarter of 2026, down from $681.40m in the same period of 2025, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The figures show that U.S. imports fell by 15% year-on-year, with volumes dropping from 8.44 million barrels in Q1 2025 to 7.84 million barrels in Q1 2026.

Monthly data revealed a sharp decline between February and March 2026. Imports fell from 4.64 million barrels in February to 1.54 million barrels in March, with values dropping from $345.33m to $114.49m.

Nigeria’s share of U.S. crude imports from Africa also shrank, falling from 61.7% in Q1 2025 to 34.8% in Q1 2026, as countries like Libya and Ghana increased their contributions.

Despite the decline, Nigeria’s light sweet crude grades remain relevant to U.S. refiners, even as global supply patterns and price movements reshape trade flows.

The NNPC’s March report showed Nigeria’s crude sales dropped to 17.37 million barrels, down from 22.85 million in February and 25.75 million in January, citing pipeline disruptions.

NNPC explained: “The Trans Forcados Pipeline outage, resulting from a leak at the Keremor axis, negatively impacted production volumes, leading to curtailments across several assets.”

The company said it is implementing recovery strategies to stabilise output, focusing on asset reliability, evacuation constraints, and targeted restoration initiatives.