Some 13.5 million tonnes of non-crude oil export cargoes were handled by Nigerian ports in 2005. The cargoes were shipped to 95 different countries. 4.5 million tonnes or 33 per cent of the cargoes went to the United States of America while 2.8 million tonnes or 21 per cent were shipped to the United Kingdom .

Other countries that received over 100,000 tonnes of the export were France (1.5 million tonnes), Germany , (1.0 million tonnes), Spain (0.9 million tonnes), Netherlands (0.6 million tonnes) and Belgium (0.4 million tonnes). Others were Angola (0.2 million tonnes), Malta (0.2 million tonnes) and Senegal (0.1 million tonnes). However, the Nigerian Port Authority’s spokesman, Mr Abiodun Gogha, assistant general manager Public Affairs said there were no significant exports to the West African sub-region.

He explained that Senegal and Ghana received 120,000 and 95,000 tonnes respectively.

He said: "The 244,000 tonnes exported to Angola were the highest to African countries. Export to 51 countries were 500 tonnes and below with the least tonnage of three tonnes to Cambodia .

Borha stressed that commodity analysis of non-crude oil exports handled by the nation seaports shows that liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) made up 83 per cent and refined petroleum products was 10 per cent.

He added that general cargo was 5 per cent of the total while dry bulk cargo such as animal feed, cocoa beans made up the remaining two per cent.

He said that the ports handled 26 million tonnes of import cargo during the period.

According to him, the import came from 114 different countries while 1.5 million tonnes came from an unspecified origin.

"The largest source of import cargo was the United States of America from where 13 per cent or 3.5 million tonnes came followed by Taiwan with 2.6 million tonnes.

"In the West African sub-region, Cote D’Ivoire accounted for seven per cent tonnes of import to Nigeria ," he said.

However, he said that China and unspecified locations were the other source of cargo of one million tonnes. "Imports from 26 countries were below 500 tonnes with Iraq supplying the least of three tonnes," Borha said.

He listed other countries from which Nigeria imported 300,000 tonnes of cargo and above including ( India 0.6 million tonnes), Spain (0.5 million tonnes), ( Greece 0.5 million tonnes), Germany (0.5 million tonnes) and Ukraine (0.5 million tonnes).

Others are Brazil (2.0 million tonnes), Taiwan (2.6 million tonnes), Cote D’Ivoire (1.9 million tonnes) among others.