International transit
Transit Cargo from Kenya to South Sudan
Goods that were never Kenyan, passing through Kenya on their way to Juba. This is a different customs job from a Kenyan export, and treating it as the same one is the most expensive mistake on this corridor.
What transit actually means
Transit is a customs procedure, not a description of a journey. Goods under a transit regime enter Kenya's customs territory, move across it under customs control, and leave again, without ever being entered for home use in Kenya. The duties and taxes that would apply to a Kenyan import are not collected, because the goods are not being released into the Kenyan market.
That treatment is conditional. It depends on the goods being correctly declared as transit, moving under an approved security, and actually exiting the country within the time allowed. If the cargo does not exit, or the procedure is not properly discharged, the protection falls away and the consignment can be treated as an import for home use.
We won't tell you that transit cargo is "tax free". It is cargo whose Kenyan duties are suspended under conditions. Meeting those conditions is the work.
Kenyan export versus international transit
| Kenyan export | International transit | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the goods come from | Made, bought or stored in Kenya | Made and bought outside Kenya |
| Kenyan declaration | Export declaration | Transit declaration |
| Kenyan duties | Not applicable to the export | Suspended, subject to conditions |
| Security required | Normally none for the movement | Customs bond or regional guarantee |
| Monitoring | Standard export controls | Electronic cargo tracking on the movement |
| What proves completion | Export confirmation | Proof the goods exited and the bond is discharged |
See Kenya export clearance for the other case
The transit chain, step by step
1. Arrival and manifest
The carrier files the manifest. For sea freight this happens before the vessel berths at Mombasa; the declaration is then lodged against the manifest data.
2. Transit declaration
The consignment is declared for transit rather than for home use. The declaration identifies the goods, their value, their classification, the route and the office of exit.
3. Security, meaning the customs bond
Transit movements are covered by a bond or guarantee sufficient to cover the suspended duties. Within the East African Community a single regional bond can cover the movement across partner states rather than requiring a fresh bond at each border.
Full detail on Kenya customs transit bonds
4. Cargo tracking
Transit cargo on the Northern Corridor moves under electronic cargo tracking, with the movement monitored from the port to the exit point.
5. The Uganda leg
Cargo bound for South Sudan by road crosses Uganda. Ugandan transit procedures apply on that leg, and the final exit from Uganda is at Elegu, opposite Nimule, where a one stop border post brings both countries' officials together.
6. Exit and discharge
The goods exit at the border, the exit is recorded, and the transit procedure is discharged so the bond can be released. An undischarged bond is a live liability. Chasing the discharge is part of the job, not an afterthought.
7. South Sudan entry
At Nimule the cargo becomes a South Sudanese import: a declaration, classification, valuation, assessment and release.
South Sudan customs clearance · Nimule border clearance
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 handle
- Transit declarations and customs bond arrangements
- Port clearance and cargo release coordination at Mombasa
- Container collection from the terminal and onward trucking
- Bonded cargo movement under electronic tracking
- Border exit formalities and bond discharge
- South Sudan destination customs clearance
- FCL and LCL forwarding
- Container handling and empty container return arrangements
Where your cargo is coming from
- China to Juba cargo, with published door to door rates
- China to South Sudan via Kenya
- Dubai to South Sudan via Kenya
- India to South Sudan via Kenya
- South Sudan imports via Mombasa
- International cargo transit through Kenya
Before you rely on this page
This page is published as general guidance for people shipping cargo to South Sudan. It is not legal advice and it isn't customs advice. Duty rates, fees, permits and procedures are set by the authorities named above and they change. South Sudan sets its tax and duty rates in an annual Financial Act, so what applies to your goods depends on the date they are entered.
We don't publish duty rates, penalty amounts or clearance fees that we cannot tie to a current official source. Where a figure matters to your costing, confirm it with the relevant authority or ask us to check it for your specific goods and HS code before you ship.