7% Import Surcharge Strains Revenue at Onne Port as Customs Agents Decry Multiple Taxation
The continued imposition of a 7% import surcharge is reportedly threatening cargo throughput and revenue stability at the Onne Port in Rivers State. Licensed customs agents and freight forwarders have voiced concerns that the port is losing its competitive edge to regional alternatives due to what they describe as a “suffocating” regime of multiple taxation. This fiscal pressure is creating a logistics bottleneck that discourages importers from utilizing the Eastern ports, potentially leading to significant revenue leakage for the Federal Government.
From a macroeconomic perspective, the 7% surcharge originally established as a developmental levy is being viewed in the current high-inflation environment as an “extra-budgetary burden” that fuels cost-push inflation. For an economy striving for a $1 trillion GDP, the efficiency of the maritime sector is a vital prerequisite. Agents at Onne Port contend that the surcharge, when layered atop rising terminal charges, exchange rate fluctuations, and various administrative fees, significantly increases the “cost of doing business” for manufacturers and retail importers alike.
Historically, the Onne Port was positioned as a strategic alternative to the perennially congested Lagos ports. However, stakeholders suggest that the “fiscal friction” caused by these levies is reversing the gains of the “Ease of Doing Business” initiatives. They pointed out that the security of the vessel and the integrity of the cargo at Onne are often overshadowed by the high financial cost of clearing goods, leading many businesses to divert shipments to more cost-effective ports in the West African sub-region.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Federal Ministry of Finance are under mounting pressure to conduct a “tax harmonization” exercise. Agents argue that while the government aims to maximize non-oil revenue, the current approach may be counterproductive. By making the port “prohibitively expensive,” the government risks reducing the overall volume of imports, which in turn diminishes the cumulative duty collected. To protect the liquidity of the trade sector, stakeholders are calling for a review of the surcharge to stimulate volume-driven growth.
As the 2026 fiscal cycle progresses, the focus remains on the “sustainability of port operations.” Leadership within various clearing associations has urged the government to prioritize the infrastructure of distribution over the immediate extraction of levies. They believe that a more “investor-friendly” tariff regime would not only restore the vitality of Onne Port but also enhance the human capital development of the surrounding communities that depend on the maritime value chain.
Ultimately, the resolution of the surcharge crisis at Onne Port will be a key indicator of the government’s commitment to genuine “port reforms.” For Nigeria to fully leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), its secondary ports must be competitive, transparent, and free from the “multiple taxation” traps that currently hinder the security of commerce.
