Nigerians spent a total of $985m importing motor vehicles and parts from the United States in the first 10 months of 2025, marking a sharp rise from the $543m recorded in the corresponding period of 2024, latest data from the US Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis have shown.
The figures, contained in the US International Trade in Goods and Services reports for October 2024 and October 2025, indicate that vehicle-related imports from the US to Nigeria grew by $442m, representing an 81.4 per cent year-on-year increase within one year.
A breakdown of the data shows that passenger cars accounted for the bulk of the inflow, with Nigeria importing vehicles worth $727m year-to-date in 2025, compared with $411m in the same period of 2024. This translates to an increase of $316m, or 76.9 per cent, underscoring sustained demand for US-made cars despite pressure on foreign exchange and rising import costs.
Imports of trucks, buses, and special-purpose vehicles more than doubled within the period under review, rising from $30m in the first 10 months of 2024 to $63m in 2025. This 110 per cent jump suggests growing activity in logistics, construction, and industrial transport, even as businesses grapple with high interest rates and elevated operating costs.
Vehicle parts also recorded a strong increase, climbing from $103m year-to-date in 2024 to $195m in 2025. The $92m rise, representing 89.3 per cent growth, points to increased maintenance of existing vehicles and continued reliance on imported components, reflecting constraints in local manufacturing and assembly.
On a monthly basis, the October figures show that Nigeria imported $136m worth of vehicles and parts from the US in October 2025, up from $116m in September.
Passenger cars accounted for $102m of the October total, while trucks and buses stood at $8m and parts at $26m. Although month-on-month growth in 2025 remained positive, it was more moderate than in 2024, when October imports surged by over 40 per cent compared with September, indicating a possible stabilisation after an earlier rebound.
In contrast, October 2024 imports from the US stood at $83m, against $59m in September of that year, with passenger cars alone accounting for $65m. The year-to-date total for 2024 closed October at $543m, less than two-thirds of the 2025 figure at the same point.
The PUNCH earlier reported that Nigeria’s importation of passenger motor cars rebounded strongly in 2025 as relative stability in the foreign exchange market eased pressure on dealers and buyers, according to foreign trade statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics.
Data from the NBS showed that the value of passenger motor car imports rose to N1.01tn in the first nine months of 2025, compared with N894.09bn recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
This represents an increase of N113.15bn or 12.66 per cent year on year, signalling a clear turnaround after months of weak demand driven by currency volatility and rising landing costs. A closer examination of the quarterly figures shows that the recovery gathered momentum only in the second half of the year.
Analysts say the figures reflect renewed confidence among importers as exchange rate volatility eased and access to foreign exchange improved, even though vehicle prices remain high.
