AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
A US online store selling Nigerian products needs three sets of rules right: sales tax (register in your home state, and in other states once you pass their economic nexus thresholds, such as $500,000 a year in Texas), product rules (FDA registration, prior notice and English labels for food; FDA registration and listing for cosmetics; FTC labels for clothing), and import costs, which in 2026 include a 12.5% Section 301 duty on many Nigerian products and the end of duty-free small mail parcels.
The model: import in bulk, ship from US stock
Most successful stores selling Nigerian foods, fabrics and beauty products import in bulk, clear the goods through US customs once, and ship to customers from a US address or fulfilment warehouse. That model is cheaper per order than posting individual parcels from Lagos, and since 2026 it matters even more, because small mail parcels from abroad no longer enter duty-free. This guide covers the three areas a store owner must manage.
1. Sales tax
Sales tax in the US is a state matter. You register first in the state where your business is based, and then in other states once your sales into them pass their "economic nexus" thresholds.
| State | Threshold (from the state's own page) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | $500,000 total Texas revenue in the preceding twelve calendar months | Register and collect by the first day of the fourth month after crossing; single local use tax rate option of 1.75% |
Thresholds differ by state, so check each state's revenue department as your sales grow. Texas says marketplace-only sellers whose marketplace provider collects tax need no Texas permit but must keep records for four years. Our guide to sales tax on imported goods sold online goes further.
2. Product rules by category
Packaged food
Every Nigerian facility that makes or packs food for the US must be registered with the FDA, and each shipment needs prior notice confirmed before it arrives (8 hours before arrival by water, 4 hours by air, under 21 CFR Part 1 Subpart I). The FDA's Food Labeling Guide requires an English label with the food's name, net quantity in metric and US units, ingredients, the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor and, on most packages, Nutrition Facts. Allergens must be declared too. See FDA rules for Nigerian foodstuff.
Cosmetics and personal care
Shea butter creams, hair oils and black soap sold as a moisturiser are treated as cosmetics, which bring FDA facility registration and product listing duties under the 2022 cosmetics law (MoCRA). Our guide to importing shea butter and cosmetics covers the detail.
Clothing and fabric
The FTC's textile rules require fibre content by generic name and percentage, country of origin ("Made in Nigeria") and a dealer name or RN on garments. If your online listing mentions fibre, it must give the fibre content and say the item is imported.
3. Import costs in 2026
- Section 301 duty: a US Trade Representative notice of 28 July 2026 applies an additional 12.5% duty to products of Nigeria entered on or after 24 July 2026, except goods in its annexes. Check whether your products are excluded.
- AGOA: the Section 301 notice does not say how it interacts with AGOA duty-free treatment, so ask your customs broker and see whether AGOA still applies.
- De minimis: a CBP rule of 24 June 2026 indefinitely suspended the de minimis exemption for mail shipments valued at $800 or less, so small parcels posted to customers from Nigeria now face duty and entry formalities.
Worked example (illustration only)
Example: a container of Nigerian spices and snacks with a customs value of $30,000. If the 12.5% Section 301 duty applies and no annex exclusion fits, that adds $3,750 before normal duty, broker fees and freight. Spread over 6,000 units, that is about 63 cents a unit, which should be in the retail price.
Running the store day to day
- Keep supplier invoices, FDA registration numbers and prior notice confirmations for each lot.
- Hold labels on file for every product version.
- Track sales by state each month for nexus.
- Record landed cost per unit, including duty and freight, for pricing and tax.
Own website, marketplace, or both
Where you sell changes who handles sales tax. On a marketplace, the marketplace provider usually collects and remits tax for sales made through it; the Texas Comptroller says marketplace-only sellers whose provider certifies that it collects need no Texas permit, although they must keep records for four years. On your own website, you are the seller of record, so registration, collection and filing are yours in every state where you have nexus. Many stores run both, and then the marketplace sales and own-site sales have to be tracked separately for each state.
Product rules do not change with the channel. A jar of ground egusi needs the same FDA-compliant label whether it is sold through your site, a marketplace or a market stall, and the same import records sit behind it.
Where Pryme fits
A store like this collects dollars in the US and pays Nigerian suppliers, often in naira. A Pryme Business Account opened from the US holds USD and NGN with local details for each; bulk payouts can pay several suppliers at once, and Swap shows the rate and fee before you approve.
Questions people ask
Do I need to collect sales tax in every state?
No. You collect where you have nexus: your home state, and other states once your sales pass their thresholds, such as $500,000 in Texas.
Is there extra US duty on Nigerian goods in 2026?
A USTR notice applies an additional 12.5% Section 301 duty to products of Nigeria entered on or after 24 July 2026, with annex exceptions.
Can I still ship small parcels from Nigeria duty-free?
No. CBP suspended the de minimis exemption for mail shipments of $800 or less in June 2026.
Does Nigerian food need an English label to sell online?
Yes. FDA rules require the required label statements in English, and in the other language too if any foreign language appears.
Sources
- Texas Comptroller: Remote sellers (modified 18 May 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- eCFR: 21 CFR Part 1, Subpart I, Prior notice of imported food (current text) · accessed Oct 2026
- FDA: Food Labeling Guide (revised Jan 2013; landing page 15 Jan 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- FTC: Threading your way through the labeling requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts (modified 10 Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Federal Register: Notice of actions in Section 301 investigations of various economies (28 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Federal Register: Indefinite suspension of the de minimis exemption for mail shipments (24 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.