Cost Of Clearing A 40ft, 20ft Container In Nigeria

In Nigeria, the cost of clearing a container at the seaport is one of the determining factors of the cost of these products when they are brought to consumers.  Nearly every product used in Nigeria is imported and this applies to cars and car spare parts. 

Recently, many car spare parts importers have been complaining about the recent hike in the price of clearing a container at the seaport. 

According to a report, clearing costs have risen up to 67% more than what they used to be. And with extra charges frequently added by customs officials at the border, there’s now a discrepancy in what the importers should expect to pay as clearing costs at the seaport. 

Documents required for customs clearance

• Original Bill of Lading from the shipping company
• 1 copy CCVO (Combined Certificate of Value and Origin) (Form 16)
• Pro-forma invoice
• PAAR–Pre-Arrive Assessment Report
• Assessment Notice from a Custom agent that handles it
• Form ‘M’ (Central bank of Nigeria Form Submission can be applied for at Nigeria banks)
• Packing list showing the description of the goods and their dimension.
• Customs Duty Payment Confirmation from the bank the Form M was issued

While the clearing cost is still fluctuating, below is what the clearing cost of a 40ft, 20ft container cargo in Nigeria used to be and what it is now. 

Clearing Cost Of A 20ft Container Cargo In Nigeria 

The clearing cost for a 20ft container in Nigeria is;

• 20ft container deposit: 100,000 thousand Naira per container (within Lagos) 200,000 thousand Naira (outside Lagos)
• Shipping company charges: 100,000 thousand Naira 
• Terminal charges: 100,000 thousand Naira 
• Punching: 10,000 thousand Naira 
• Custom documentation: 100,000 thousand Naira 
• Provisional demurrage: 50,000 thousand Naira 
• Agent fees: 350,000 thousand Naira 
• Duties: Subject to the amount generated on PAAR or on assessment 
• Import duties based on the HS code declared %
• CIS (Comprehensive Inspection Supervision Scheme) 1% of the value declared
• Ports Surcharge: 7.5% of the value declared
• ETLS: 0.5 of the value declared
• VAT: 7.5%
• Even if you have a 0% import duty for your goods. You will still need to pay for the other charges above. 

While this is the supposed charge for clearing a 20ft container cargo, with the recent spike in clearing cost, there’s the possibility that it has risen by 67%. 

Clearing Cost Of A 40ft Container Cargo In Nigeria

The clearing cost of a 20ft differs from that of a 40ft. Below is what it used to be;

• 40ft container deposit: 200,000 thousand Naira (within Lagos), 400,000 thousand Naira (outside Lagos)
• Shipping company charges: 170,000 thousand Naira 
• Terminal charges: 180,000 thousand Naira 
• Punching: 10,000
• Custom documentation: 100,000 thousand Naira 
• Provisional demurrage: 100,000 thousand Naira 
• Agent fees: 350,000 thousand Naira 
• Duties: Subject to the amount generated on PAAR or on assessment 
• Import duties based on the HS code declared %
• CIS (Comprehensive Inspection Supervision Scheme) 1% of the value declared 
• Ports Surcharge: 7.5% of the value declared
• ETLS: 0.5 of the value declared 
• VAT: 7.5%
• Even if you have a 0% import duty for your goods, you’ll still need to pay the other charges above. 

Conclusion

Despite this detailed list of what a 20ft,40ft clearing cost of container cargo in Nigeria is, recent development has shown that the cost keeps increasing. For a 40ft container containing car spare parts, owners will have to clear it with up to 1 million Naira than the usual 600,000 thousand Naira.