Home / Shipping & ports

Shipping, ports and paperwork

What actually happens between "I want four Corollas" and a clearing agent handing you the keys at Apapa. Times, costs, documents and the import rules that catch most first-time buyers.

Routing

Guangzhou to your port

We load at Nansha or Shekou. Transit is port-to-port and excludes vessel delays, transhipment and destination customs.

Port	Country	Transit	Typical routing	Drive	Max age guide
Apapa / Tin Can, Lagos	Nigeria	32–38 d	Direct or via Singapore / Port Klang	LHD	12 years
Tema	Ghana	30–35 d	Direct or via Tanger Med	LHD	10 years
Cotonou	Benin	30–36 d	Via Lomé or direct	LHD	No hard cap
Lomé	Togo	31–36 d	Direct — good for Sahel transhipment	LHD	No hard cap
Douala	Cameroon	34–40 d	Via Tanger Med / Pointe-Noire	LHD	Confirm
Abidjan	Côte d'Ivoire	33–39 d	Direct or via Tanger Med	LHD	Confirm
Mombasa	Kenya	18–24 d	Direct — shortest run we do	RHD	8 years
Dar es Salaam	Tanzania	20–26 d	Direct, with Zanzibar feeder	RHD	8 years
Durban	South Africa	22–28 d	Direct — import permit required	RHD	Permit based

Import rules change without much notice, and they are enforced against the date of arrival, not the date you ordered. Always confirm the current limit with your clearing agent before paying a deposit — and tell us the limit so we only shortlist cars that will still be legal when the vessel docks.

Loading options

Container or RORO?

Both work. The right answer depends on how many cars you are moving and whether any of them are high-value.

	Container	RORO
Cost per car	Lowest when you fill 4 units	Fixed per unit, no filling
Protection	Sealed, out of weather	Exposed on deck or in hold
Mixed loads	Cars + parts + tyres in one box	Vehicles only, self-propelled
Non-runners	Accepted (forklift loaded)	Not accepted
Schedule	Weekly sailings from Nansha	Less frequent to West Africa
Best for	Dealers, 2–4 units	Single units, tight budgets

Cars being loaded and strapped inside a 40HQ container

Strapping & chocking before sealing

Paperwork

Documents you receive with every shipment

Originals by courier, PDF copies by email the day the vessel sails. Your clearing agent needs all of these to file at destination.

Commercial invoice & packing list

Unit price, VIN, engine number, colour, year and the container seal number. Declared value is what your agent files on — we do not under-invoice.

Bill of lading

Three originals plus copies, issued by the carrier. This is the document that legally transfers the cargo — treat it like cash.

Certificate of origin

Issued through CCPIT. Required in most West African markets to support the declared origin and the duty calculation.

Marine insurance certificate

Covered under the CIF price, all risks, to your named port. The claim contact is on the certificate, not hidden behind us.

Export declaration & licence copy

Chinese customs export declaration and our vehicle export licence. Some destination customs ask for the declaration copy — send it before they ask.

Inspection report & photo file

36-photo set, walkaround video, VIN photo, odometer reading and tyre/brake measurements — timestamped before loading.

Where deals go wrong

Six things that ruin an import — and what we do about each

None of these are hypothetical. Every one of them has happened to a dealer we know. This is how the process is built to stop them.

The car is swapped after paymentPhoto of your VIN inside the sealed container, with the seal number in the same frame. Nothing leaves the yard unphotographed.
The odometer was rolled backService record cross-check plus physical wear on the wheel, pedals and seat bolster. Mismatch means we drop the unit.
The car is too old for the marketWe filter the shortlist by your country's age limit before you see it, and we check the limit again before booking the vessel.
Hidden structural repairPaint thickness gauge on every panel, chassis rail and apron inspection. Anything structural is disclosed in writing, not left for you to find.
No container space at peak seasonSpace is booked three weeks ahead, and we tell you honestly when the next sailing is full instead of taking a deposit for a fantasy date.
Demurrage at the destinationWe tell you the free-time window on your booking, so your agent can clear before the clock runs out. The expensive part of importing is usually the port, not the car.

Payment

How the money moves

Simple terms, in writing, on a proforma invoice with a company chop.

30% depositTakes the unit off the market and books container space.
70% before the container sailsReleased against loading photos and the draft bill of lading. For repeat dealers we discuss 30/70 against B/L copy.
Bank transfer onlyCompany account in China, or our Hong Kong entity. No cash, no personal accounts, no crypto.

Verify the account before you send anything Bank-detail fraud is the single most common loss in this trade. Someone intercepts the email thread, sends a "revised" invoice with a different account, and the money is gone. We will never change our bank details mid-deal over email or WhatsApp. If you ever receive a message like that, call us on the number on this site before you transfer a single dollar.

What is not included in CIF Import duty, VAT, levies, terminal handling, shipping-line charges at destination and clearing fees. Budget for these separately — in Nigeria they routinely add 40–60% of the CIF value.

Plan your shipment

Tell us the port, we will tell you the date and the cost

We will send the next three sailings, the freight rate, the free-time window and the full document list for your destination.

Ask for sailing dates Browse stock