Unrefined Grade A shea butter for soap making in the United Kingdom
Unrefined Grade A shea butter for soap making shipped from Lagos to the United Kingdom.
Summary
- MOQ
- 20 t (trial from 5 t)
- Incoterms
- EXW, FOB, CIF
- Lead time
- Production plus ocean time; rolling shipments available
- Discharge
- Felixstowe
Why the United Kingdom buys Nigerian shea butter
The United Kingdom does not grow shea. After Brexit, OPSS and the UK Responsible Person replaced CPNP for finished cosmetics. Felixstowe and London Gateway take the boxes; London buying offices, Manchester plants and Birmingham wholesalers take the inland haul.
HMRC applies the UK Global Tariff under heading 1515.90. Developing Countries Trading Scheme preference may apply to Nigerian origin when a valid proof of origin is presented — confirm on the Trade Tariff for the entry date. Import VAT is extra. EMI Agro does not compute landed duty.
Name Felixstowe or London Gateway on the quote. Typical ocean time from Lagos is about 18–28 days. Finished UK consumer packs need English particulars; bulk drums follow the contract language. EMI Agro does not operate a UK warehouse.
Unrefined Grade A for soap making in the United Kingdom
UK soap makers specify Grade A against saponification value. Name Felixstowe or London Gateway. Trial lots start at 5 tonnes.
How to buy from EMI Agro in the United Kingdom
UK buyers choose EXW, FOB or CIF Felixstowe or London Gateway. Each term prices different services beyond the butter. There is no published GBP price list.
Standard orders start at 20 tonnes; trial lots start at 5 tonnes. Indie brands that need a smaller first lot should still enquire — we review every UK request against current production.
Lead time is production plus typical ocean time to Felixstowe or London Gateway, then the haul to London, Manchester and Birmingham. Current production of 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter supports a rolling UK programme when the purchase order names one.
Duty, documents and clearance live on the import guide for the United Kingdom. Packs and the quote lane live on the supplier page.
Nigerian shea butter for the United Kingdom
the UK does not grow shea. The butter on a the UK COA is West African — EMI Agro presses it in Ibadan from wild-collected nuts. OPSS and the UK Responsible Person replaced CPNP after Brexit; Felixstowe and London Gateway take the boxes. EMI Agro works with 5,000+ women collectors in Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi. Manchester buyers usually take the inland haul from Felixstowe.
Ask for a batch COA on a NIS 571:2013 basis: free fatty acid, peroxide value, moisture, colour and melting point. Reject lots that smell sharply rancid or pour like liquid oil at room temperature. OPSS filings sit with the the UK importer — they do not replace a COA.
Trial lots start at 5 tonnes; standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Send the request even if you need less — EMI Agro reviews every United Kingdom enquiry against current production of 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Lead time is Ibadan production plus ocean time to Felixstowe. Quotes are EXW, FOB or CIF; each term prices different services beyond the butter.
Two questions. We show the grade, the documents that usually apply and the next step — we do not invent a price.
Recommended specifications for soap making
| Parameter | Target for soap making | Why it matters | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saponification value | Available on request | The recipe input: NaOH needed = oil mass × SAP/1000 × 40/56.1; use the batch value, not a table average. | AOCS Cd 3-25 |
| Unsaponifiable matter | Available on request | Does not saponify — acts as conditioning superfat; above about 20 % shea in the blend it can soften the bar and mute lather. | AOCS Ca 6a-40 |
| Iodine value | Available on request | Low unsaturation gives a hard, stable bar and a low risk of oxidative orange spots. | AOCS Cd 1-25 / Other Wijs |
| Free fatty acid (FFA) | Available on request | Free acids saponify directly and consume a little extra lye; high FFA mainly signals kernel fermentation, not a soap-making fault. | AOCS Ca 5a-40 / ISO 660 |
| Peroxide value (PV) | Available on request | Pre-oxidised fat is the usual root cause of rancid bars and spotting during cure. | AOCS Cd 8-53 |
| Moisture and volatiles | Available on request | Water in the fat slightly alters the lye calculation and shortens raw-material shelf life. | AOCS Ca 2b-38 / ISO 662 |
Frequently asked questions
Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.
Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria
Quote Unrefined Grade A shea butter for the United Kingdom
Name the grade, the volume and the discharge port. We reply with the document set and a current COA.
You have just read Unrefined Grade A shea butter for soap making in the United Kingdom. The next step is a real lot from the factory that produces it — EMI Agro, with factory-direct pricing and a batch Certificate of Analysis.
Trusted manufacturer
EMI Agro Industries Limited (RC 9364495) presses the butter in Ibadan — we are not a trading company.
Competitive factory-direct prices
Quoted EXW, FOB or CIF — the buyer chooses. You pay the factory, not a chain of middlemen.
Export-ready supply
We ship to European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, China, India, Middle East, Latin America. Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) or Tin Can Island (Lagos).
Documented lots
40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter, a Certificate of Analysis on every batch, NAFDAC registered and SON approved.