International transit
Mombasa Port to Juba Cargo
The port stage is where most Mombasa to Juba shipments lose time and money. This page walks through it in order, so you know what is happening and who is charging for what.
Published rates for the onward leg
| Route | Container size | Cargo origin | FCL transport rate | Currency | Transit time | Container handling conditions | Port charges | Customs brokerage | Deposit & detention | Empty return | Rate validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mombasa to Juba | 20ft | Kenyan export | Contact us for current rates | USD | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | |
| Mombasa to Juba | 20ft | International transit | Contact us for current rates | USD | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | |
| Mombasa to Juba | 40ft | Kenyan export | Contact us for current rates | USD | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | |
| Mombasa to Juba | 40ft | International transit | Contact us for current rates | USD | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us | Confirm with us |
From vessel to gate
Manifest and arrival
The shipping line files the cargo manifest. Your bill of lading is the document of title: it is what entitles the named consignee to take delivery. If the bill of lading names the wrong party, or the original has not reached the consignee, nothing else can proceed.
Declaration
The customs entry is lodged against the manifest. For cargo continuing to South Sudan that is a transit declaration rather than a Kenyan home use entry. How transit through Kenya works
Delivery order
The line issues the delivery order once its freight and charges are settled and, where applicable, the container deposit is paid. Lines won't release against a promise.
Port charges
Kenya Ports Authority charges shore handling, wharfage and storage according to its published tariff, which applies different scales to domestic and transit containers and gives transit cargo a longer free storage period than domestic cargo.
Because the exact figures and free periods are revised from time to time, check the current KPA tariff for the charges that will apply to your consignment rather than relying on a figure quoted elsewhere.
Release and collection
Once customs has released the cargo and the port charges are settled, the container is collected from the terminal. Seal numbers are checked and recorded at this point.
The road leg
Mombasa, Nairobi, Malaba, Kampala, Gulu, Nimule, Juba. Transit cargo travels under electronic cargo tracking on this leg.
The two clocks
The single most useful thing to understand about Mombasa is that two independent free periods are running from the moment your cargo arrives:
- The KPA storage free period. Once it expires, storage accrues on the cargo in the yard.
- The shipping line's free days. Once they expire, demurrage and then detention accrue on the line's container.
They are set by different organisations, they are different lengths, and neither of them pauses because a document is missing. Every day of document chasing is a day on both clocks.
Full explanation of detention and demurrage
Get a quotation
Tell us what you are shipping
Send us the cargo description, weight or volume, and the pickup and delivery addresses. We reply with a written rate, the transit time and the documents you will need.
What we do at the port
- Monitor vessel arrival and manifest registration
- Lodge the transit or import declaration
- Coordinate the delivery order and container deposit with the line
- Settle and account for port charges
- Arrange customs release and physical collection
- Record seals and load for the road
- Manage the transit movement and the border exit
- Arrange empty container return