Many foreign trade people may have noticed during this time that some Nigerian and UAE customers are replying slower and less frequently. This is because they are celebrating a major holiday - Ramadan!

About Ramadan

Ramadan, meaning 'forbidden month', is the month of September in the Islamic calendar, a month when Muslims fast and is considered the holiest day in the Islamic calendar. This year, Ramadan begins on 23 March, and if a new moon is seen on the evening of the 29th day of Ramadan, the following day will be Eid al-Fitr, and if not, another day will be fasted for a total of 30 days.

What do foreign traders need to be aware of during Ramadan?

In Nigeria, where the number of Muslims is estimated to be over 95 million, the country ranks fifth among the top 10 countries with the largest Muslim population in the world; the UAE is almost entirely Muslim.

During Ramadan, from sunrise to sunset every day, adult Muslims must strictly fast, refrain from eating and drinking, and refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol. It is not until the sun goes down that people eat, and then they have fun or visit friends and relatives, as if it were New Year.

During Ramadan, Islamists are expected to adjust their working hours, generally from 9am to 2pm, as some will be working at night and resting during the day. It is best for foreign trade people to avoid contacting clients from 7pm-9pm local time when they are generally eating.

Customs, ports, freight forwarders, warehousing and other authorities and enterprises, etc., will have shorter working hours, so the efficiency of customs clearance for some goods will be reduced. Foreign traders can arrange transportation in advance or ship goods to overseas warehouses for storage in advance.

Because Ramadan is also a time when Muslim customers have a high desire to spend money and these products are in high demand!

Spike in demand for products during Ramadan

Gifts

During Ramadan, people usually exchange gifts such as perfumes, candles, toys and handicrafts.

Home decoration

The shortened working hours during Ramadan allow Muslims to spend more time at home. With nearly half of Muslims inviting family and friends to gather during Ramadan, home furnishings will be one of the most popular categories for purchase during Ramadan, especially wallpaper, wall hangings, decorative lighting, home textiles and handicrafts, with decorations containing traditional Islamic elements becoming more popular.

Kitchen products

Preparing food at home is an important part of Ramadan and they will have high frequency grocery purchases during Ramadan, with purchases increasing by more than 50% compared to non-Ramadan periods. For Chinese sellers abroad, kitchen appliances and cooking tools are key to penetrating the kitchen space of Muslim consumers, especially small products such as air fryers, beaters, baking moulds and weighing gadgets.

Clothing accessories

Similar to the Chinese custom of buying new clothes for the New Year, Muslims also buy new clothes during Ramadan.

Electronic appliances

During Ramadan, many live entertainment shows, bars and entertainment venues are closed for business. Pastimes to pass the time are more personal and entertainment electronics such as mobile phones, accessories, headphones and projectors will also see a spike in demand.

Finally, as Ramadan comes to an end this year and Eid al-Fitr is celebrated, if you have clients of the Islamic faith, send them a message of blessing, which for Ramadan is "Ramadan Kareem" and for Eid is "Eid Mubarak ". But don't say it if the client is of the Christian faith!