Shipping & transit.
From Port Klang or Belawan to your discharge port — typical schedule, lines used and what to expect end-to-end.
End-to-end timeline
- Day 0: PI issued, 48h validity.
- Day 1–3: 30% advance received → production starts → origin locked.
- Day 8–12: Refining + filling complete; cargo at port for stuffing.
- Day 12–15: Vessel cut-off → loaded → B/L issued.
- Day 12–15 + transit: Vessel in transit (see table).
- ETA – 3 days: Pre-arrival logistics check, balance 70% TT initiated.
- ETA + 3–7 days: Customs clearance, discharge, your warehouse.
Transit times by African port
| Port | Country | Transit | Freight USD/MT | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagos (Apapa) | Nigeria | ~32 days | USD 114 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
| Apapa Tin Can | Nigeria | ~33 days | USD 116 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
| Mombasa | Kenya | ~21 days | USD 86 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
| Tema | Ghana | ~34 days | USD 116 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
| Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | ~23 days | USD 92 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
| Djibouti | Djibouti | ~19 days | USD 84 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
| Abidjan | Côte d'Ivoire | ~36 days | USD 120 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
| Dakar | Senegal | ~38 days | USD 124 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
| Port Sudan | Sudan | ~24 days | USD 94 | Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM |
Document set on every shipment
- Bill of Lading (3 originals)
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List
- Certificate of Analysis (SGS / BV / Intertek per your choice)
- Certificate of Origin (Form A or country-specific)
- Halal certificate
- Phytosanitary if required by destination
Country-specific compliance
For African destinations we coordinate the pre-export verification of conformity — KEBS PVoC for Kenya, SON/NAFDAC for Nigeria, GSA for Ghana, Codinorm for Côte d'Ivoire, TBS for Tanzania, UNBS for Uganda.
Shipping & transit — buyer questions
If the cargo misses the booked vessel for reasons within our control (refining delay, terminal stuffing miss), we book the next-available vessel at our cost — typically a 5–7 day delay. The PI freight number stays as quoted unless the carrier rolled the rate; if rolled, we absorb the differential up to USD 5/MT.
Demurrage is the importer's account once the vessel berths and free time starts. The path to zero demurrage is documents-readiness at vessel arrival: that's why the 70% balance triggers original document courier the same day. With clean documents, most of our shipped containers clear inside the free-time window.
Originals dispatch by DHL or FedEx the day the 70% balance is received. Transit to most African ports is 3–5 business days. Your clearing agent has originals in hand before the vessel berths in 90% of cases.
Carrier-side LOI (Letter of Indemnity) is the standard fallback — your clearing agent can request release against the LOI from the bank holding the originals. Adds 1–2 days but avoids demurrage. We coordinate the LOI process when needed.
Possible but expensive — the carrier charges port-change fees that typically run USD 800–1,500 per FCL plus the freight differential. Worth it for an emergency reroute (port closure, regulatory issue); otherwise a fresh booking on the next vessel is cheaper.
Most African destinations route through the Indian Ocean and don't touch Suez. Mediterranean-routed cargo (rare for our portfolio — North Africa) can be affected; we re-route around Cape of Good Hope when conditions warrant, with the importer informed at PI signing if applicable.
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