Ship container to Africa
How much does it cost to ship a container to or from Africa?
Exporting to Africa:
Miami - Dakar | From 1,785 $ | |
NEW YORK - Dakar | From 1,785 $ | |
Houston - Dakar | From 3,093 $ | |
Los Angeles - Dakar | From 4,583 $ | |
Long Beach - Dakar | From 4,583 $ |
Shipping containers to Africa
Shipping a container to Africa can be complicated and confusing. With iContainers, ocean freight was never so transparent. Send full (FCL) or shared (LCL or also known as groupage) containers with the most competitive rates offered by our online quote generator in less than 15 seconds. Using our online platform you can book and track your container without any middlemen.
The most popular shipping routes for transporting containers to Africa
The routes that transport the most goods to Africa by sea are as follows (in TEUs):
| Top trade routes from / to Africa (TEU shipped) 2013 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | West Bound | East Bound | North Bound | South Bound | TOTAL |
| Asia - Mediterranean | 4,678,000 | 2,061,000 | - | - | 6,739,000 |
| Asia - Middle East | 3,700,000 | 1,314,000 | - | - | 5,014,000 |
| North Europe/Mediterranean-East Coast South America | - | - | 795,000 | 885,000 | 1,680,000 |
Source: Trade Routes - World Shipping Council
A large number of shipping lines operate on the shipping routes that go to Africa. Here is a breakdown of the number of services currently available:
| ROUTE | SERVICES |
|---|---|
| Far East - Mediterranean | 31 |
| Mediterranean - North America | 21 |
| Europe - Mid- East/ South Asia | 40 |
| North America - Mid-East/South Asia | 10 |
| Far East - Mid-East/South Asia | 72 |
| South Africa | 24 |
| West Africa | 60 |
| TOTAL | 258 |
Note:Some services might have been counted for more than one route.
Source:Drewry Container Forecaster Q1 & Q2 2013
With our online platform you can access the best prices, in less than 15 seconds, for sending a container to Africa without having to contact shipping lines individually.
Which African ports are specialised in containers?
Of the 100 most important ports for handling containers, 4 are located in Africa:
| AFRICAN PORT RANKINGS - CONTAINER TRAFFIC - 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| PUESTO MUNDIAL | PUERTO | PAÍS | TEUs |
| 42 | Tanger | Morocco | 3354 |
| 47 | East Port Said Port | Egypt | 3036 |
| 55 | Durban | South Africa | 2664 |
| 89 | Alexandria and El-Dekheila | Egypt | 1520 |
Source: Top 100 ports in the world 2014 - World Shipping Council
Necessary documentation for sending containers to Africa
In this article, we outline what you must do in order to send a container to Africa. For further peace of mind, get in touch with the embassy of the country to which you are thinking of exporting to or contact one of our exportation advisers.
Do not forget that one of the most important formalities is choosing the Incoterm that you would like to apply to your shipment.
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"Customs duties play an important role in your international shipment. How they're determined and calculated varies from country to country"
Klaus Lydsal, vice president of operations at iContainers