Last Updated on December 14, 2020

UPDATED: Covid-19 has no health impact on mini importation in Nigeria. You’re very free to start importation.

It is not the time to fret rather be precautionary.

For the past few days, China has recorded no new cases of Coronavirus except in a likely situation of imported cases.

Now, businesses in China are open. Most health officers are discharged. Mini importation business has started, shipping companies are taking their turns.

Although FG has banned international passenger flights from countries with high COVID-19 cases including China.

What does it mean for mini importers in Nigeria?

Health is wealth?

Well…U.S health officials have said that there is no evidence to support the transmission of the new coronavirus – COVID-19 through imported goods.

This is because “because of the poor survivability of these COVID-19 on surfaces, there is likely very very low risk of spread from products or packages that are shipped from China over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures.

In a general sense, it is not dangerous to buy products from China and ship it down to Nigeria. COVID-19 spread most often by respiratory droplets from one person to another.

So the virus would not survive long enough to get you sick. Coronavirus can last on surfaces for only about 48 hours.

Coronavirus can be effectively wiped away by household disinfectants.

Is it safe to import goods from China despite Conoravirus pandemic?

No imported case of coronavirus has been recorded. Since Cargo flight takes about 7 to 10 days to Nigeria, then it is definitely safe to import goods from China to Nigeria.

The only issues of importing from China at this very time are the increased costs and delay. If it costs $5 to ship a 1kg from china to Nigeria, it may cost up to $10 for the same service.

Likewise, normally it takes 7 to 10 days for cargo flights, but it may be extended to 5 or more days.

How safe are imported goods from China over COVID-19?

I asked one of my Chinese suppliers about how safe their product is. She told me that goods are disinfected before they are sent out of China.

What does this mean to you? It means that they do their best in making sure that packages are safe.

Here is the safest thing you can do whenever you receive your package in Nigeria?

1. Wear a hand sanitizer before you pick up your package from your shipping company
2. Carefully unbox the package. Discard the carton and possibly burn it
3. Wash your hands after unboxing the package.
4. You can now arrange your products. You may need to expose your imported products to a high temperature as a form of disinfecting it. You can do this by taking it out to the sun. if your package is not sun friendly, leave it up to 24 hours.

It is true that Coronavirus can last on surfaces for only about 48 hours. But the temperature conditions during shipping to Nigeria may not be too unconducive to the virus.

Meanwhile, you can protect yourself and help prevent spreading the virus to others if you:

Do

1. Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or flexed elbow when you cough or sneeze.
3. Avoid close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with people who are unwell
4. Stay home and self-isolate from others in the household if you feel unwell.

Don’t

Touch your eyes, nose, or mouth if your hands are not clean.