About this rate index: Indicative selling prices (指导价) compiled from SPEED INT'L direct carrier contracts on the China-Africa trade lane, effective 2026 Q3. Actual quotes depend on cargo weight, season, BAF and destination clearance. Rates are rounded to the nearest USD 50 for reference — always request a current quote before booking.
46
African ports in direct coverage
30-45d
China to West Africa
25-35d
China to East/South Africa
$1,550-7,200
20GP indicative range
1. FCL Rates: China to West Africa (USD)
|
Destination
|
Country
|
20GP
|
40HQ
|
Transit
|
Documents
|
Lagos / Apapa
Tin Can · Lekki
|
Nigeria
|
2,500-4,050
|
2,500-5,550
|
30-40 d
|
Form M, PAAR, ECTN/BESC
|
Tema
Takoradi
|
Ghana
|
2,100-3,250
|
1,800-4,350
|
30-35 d
|
CTN, ICUMS
|
Abidjan
San Pedro
|
Cote d'Ivoire
|
2,100-3,550
|
1,800-4,750
|
30-40 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
Douala / Kribi
Limbe
|
Cameroon
|
3,300-4,400
|
3,700-5,750
|
30-40 d
|
ECTN/BESC
|
Cotonou / Lome
Porto-Novo
|
Benin / Togo
|
2,100-3,600
|
1,800-4,900
|
35-45 d
|
BESC/ECTN
|
Luanda / Lobito
Namibe
|
Angola
|
3,100-4,400
|
3,300-6,000
|
35-45 d
|
CNCA/ARCLA
|
|
Pointe-Noire
|
Congo
|
3,100-4,500
|
3,300-6,050
|
35-45 d
|
ECTN
|
|
Conakry
|
Guinea
|
4,100-7,200
|
3,500-8,850
|
35-45 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
|
Dakar
|
Senegal
|
3,200-4,950
|
2,700-5,900
|
35-45 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
|
Freetown
|
Sierra Leone
|
4,100-4,900
|
3,500-5,100
|
35-45 d
|
ENS + ACD
|
|
Banjul
|
Gambia
|
3,200-4,950
|
2,800-5,750
|
35-45 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
|
Boma / Matadi
|
DR Congo
|
3,600-4,800
|
4,300-6,800
|
35-45 d
|
FERI + CTN
|
|
Libreville
|
Gabon
|
3,300-4,400
|
3,700-6,000
|
35-45 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
|
Bata / Malabo
|
Equatorial Guinea
|
3,600-5,000
|
4,300-6,900
|
35-45 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
|
Cabinda
|
Angola
|
4,300-5,000
|
5,700-6,900
|
35-45 d
|
CNCA/ARCLA
|
|
Monrovia
|
Liberia
|
4,000-4,600
|
3,500-4,600
|
35-45 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
|
Nouakchott
|
Mauritania
|
3,200-5,250
|
2,800-6,000
|
35-45 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
|
Bissau
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
5,300-6,200
|
4,750-6,500
|
35-45 d
|
CTN/BESC
|
2. FCL Rates: China to East & South Africa (USD)
|
Destination
|
Country
|
20GP
|
40HQ
|
Transit
|
Documents
|
Mombasa
Dar es Salaam
Tanga
|
Kenya
|
2,050-3,200
|
2,750-4,800
|
25-35 d
|
IDF (KRA), SGR inland
|
|
Dar es Salaam
|
Tanzania
|
2,200-3,100
|
3,000-4,500
|
25-35 d
|
IDF, CTN
|
|
Durban
|
South Africa
|
1,550-2,700
|
1,600-3,400
|
25-35 d
|
SARS clearance
|
Cape Town
East London
|
South Africa
|
1,950-3,150
|
1,800-4,650
|
25-35 d
|
SARS clearance
|
Maputo / Beira
Nacala / Nacala
|
Mozambique
|
2,550-4,100
|
3,650-6,600
|
25-35 d
|
e-DI, CTN/BESC
|
Tamatave
Diego Suarez
|
Madagascar
|
2,500-2,800
|
2,600-3,200
|
30-40 d
|
BSC
|
|
Mogadishu
|
Somalia
|
3,350-3,650
|
4,750-5,700
|
30-40 d
|
Clean B/L
|
|
Moroni / Mutsamudu
|
Comoros
|
4,500
|
9,400
|
40-55 d
|
Clean B/L (feeder)
|
|
Male
|
Maldives
|
2,050-2,900
|
2,650-4,400
|
20-30 d
|
Clean B/L
|
|
Pointe des Galets
|
Reunion
|
2,500-2,800
|
2,600-3,200
|
30-40 d
|
Clean B/L
|
3. LCL Reference Rates (per CBM, USD)
|
Destination
|
Rate/CBM
|
Minimum
|
Transit
|
Notes
|
|
Lagos / Apapa
|
60-90
|
0.5 CBM
|
30-40 d
|
Form M, PAAR, ECTN handled
|
|
Tema
|
55-80
|
0.5 CBM
|
30-35 d
|
CTN + ICUMS clearance
|
|
Luanda
|
70-110
|
0.5 CBM
|
35-45 d
|
CNCA/ARCLA registration
|
|
Mombasa
|
50-75
|
0.5 CBM
|
25-35 d
|
IDF clearance
|
|
Douala
|
65-100
|
0.5 CBM
|
30-40 d
|
ECTN/BESC
|
|
Cotonou / Lome
|
55-85
|
0.5 CBM
|
30-40 d
|
BESC/ECTN handled
|
How LCL rates are calculated: LCL (Less than Container Load) shipping cost is computed by
volume (CBM) or
weight (1,000 kg = 1 RT), whichever is greater. Our indicative ~USD 80-130 / CBM range is derived from SPEED INT’L direct 20GP cost (20GP ÷ 28 CBM × 1.6 typical LCL/FCL ratio), plus BAF, port charges, and destination customs documentation (CTN / ECTN / BESC). Actual rates vary by cargo density, route frequency, and seasonality —
request a current quote for your specific cargo.
4. Break Bulk & Project Cargo
-
Typical rates: quoted per freight ton (W/M) with stowage engineering; contact SPEED for current project pricing.
-
Heavy lift (100+ tons/unit): quoted per project with vessel selection, lashing engineering and survey included.
-
Ro-Ro vehicles: sedans from USD 800-1,500; trucks/excavators quoted per unit or CBM.
-
OOG containers: typically 1.5-3x the standard FCL rate depending on dimensions.
2026 Market Trends Worth Watching
|
Trend
|
Impact
|
|
Africa port expansion (Tema MPS3, Abidjan TC2, Lekki deep-water)
|
Shorter vessel waiting, more direct Asia calls
|
|
Bauxite & critical minerals demand
|
Strong break bulk demand into Guinea, Ghana, Mozambique
|
|
Digital customs (ICUMS, KRA iCMS)
|
Faster clearance when documentation is complete
|
|
Fuel/BAF volatility
|
Quarterly rate fluctuations expected
|
|
AfCFTA momentum
|
Growing tariff-conscious routing via transshipment hubs
|
How SPEED INT'L Helps
SPEED INT'L is a licensed NVOCC (MOC-NV11880) established in 2011, moving 200,000+ revenue tons annually on the China-Africa trade lane:
-
✓ FCL / LCL / Break Bulk / Ro-Ro / OOG / Door-to-Door
-
✓ In-house handling of CTN, ECTN/BESC, CNCA/ARCLA, FERI, ENS and Form M/PAAR
-
✓ Direct carrier contracts across 46 African ports
-
✓ Local partners in Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon and more
-
✓ 24/7 shipment tracking and a dedicated project team
Request a current quote: We respond in 2 hours during business time (Beijing, GMT+8)
Disclaimer: Indicative rate ranges only, derived from SPEED INT'L direct carrier contracts (指导价) and rounded to the nearest USD 50 for reference. Subject to market conditions, BAF, seasonality and cargo specifics. This report does not constitute a binding quotation.