Freight between China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Rates – Transit times – Duties & Taxes – Advices

Sea freight between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo

The main shipping seaports in the Democratic Republic of Congo

One of the strongest trading markets of the world, the Chinese economy is at the same time the main commercial Partner of the Congo Democratic Republic (DRC). In the year 20/20, this country represented more than 41 percent of exports from DRC for a total of US$5.79 Billion, whereas the imports of Congolese goods from China totaled 11 percent for US$256 Million. The major sectors of exports of the ROC to China include the minerals such as cobalt, Petroleum and liquified Minerals ( 83%) as well as other rare and not so rare Woods, copper and ships, or any floating objects ("floating structures"). The main products being imported are pharmaceuticals, beef, and technological or electronic components.

The port of Matadi

The country's number one export and/or import terminal, it's the country's largest seaport with an annual carrying capacity of about 2,500,000 tons. With a length of 1610 meters, it includes only 16 quays. But many cranes and other infrastructures fail to work properly, and even though it handles over 90% of the maritime freight in the DRC, the Port Matadi has been overtaken by the new harbor of Matadi Gateway (MGT). It is largely integrated into the city of Kinshasa through rail and bus lines, making it one of the most significant harbors in the country. Meanwhile, this is an internal river harbor, which reduces its depth to 5, 6, and 7 meters.

Transit time between Chinese and Congolese ports

Special maritime transport method between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Reefer container

These refrigerated vessels are for transportation of perishables and/or other chemical commodities, where the temperature is necessary to ensure proper shipping operations as well as safe cargo delivery to the customers' destinations within a short period of time. Reefers come in many dimensions with the most up-to-date technologies for the control of both temperature and atmosphere, even The level of humidity.

Roro

The word Ro-Ro is used in reference to ships that are specifically made to transport lorries, semi-trucks, railroad trailers, and wagons, and even to carry vehicles or other mini boats at the entry and/or exit of the vessel.

The reasons behind the usage of a RORO from China?

This is the more economical and secure option to transport a large shipment. In many cases, they are charges that may only be carried in a single unit through a dedicated wagon, from point of origin to the target area. Roro's are stored in their own container so that they are not exposed to weather conditions or damage during transportation.

 Out of Gauges (OOG)

The short form of the term OOG (Out of Gauge) refers to ''out of gauge'' or out of specification. The two following methods are used: the Open top and the Flat rack containers.

A container with an opened top is designed for transporting A container with an opened top is designed for transporting high volumes and/or high finished goods that need to be handled and loaded by a truck crane.

The container with the flat base is dedicated to the transport of heavy goods in terms of both width and height.

These types of systems allow time-saving when loading cargo not conforming to the standard shipping regulations.

Bulk

This means the carriage of Bulk Shipments that are carried into the hold of a ship.  The bulk cargo and the regular goods will have different storage types, ex. the solid or liquid bulk cargoes (such as coal), or minerals, petroleum, and cement are the most frequent for this type of forwarding),  These are known as bulk carriers.

What is the cost of sea freight between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo?

When calculating the cost of cargo, the weight and the volume of the goods are crucial in order to obtain the total costs of transport. Here is how to determine the weight and the volume ratio of the products:

The weight/volume ratio : "1 ton = 1 m3"

Most of the world shipping sector agreed that the standard tariff rate is calculated according to the weight/volume ratio and based on the 1 ton = 1 m3 formula. The price is calculated in units of payload (UP) or mass expressed in tons, or the volume in volume expressed in cubic meters," in favor of the transporter" or the higher value.

For example, A shipment with a mass of six Tons and a capacity of 9 m3 will be counted as a 9 UP. In the case of a 7 tons weight and 6 m3 of volume, we count 7 UP.

Please feel comfortable contacting us directly through our online form. For more information, check the website: Sea freight.

Air freight between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo

The different types of  air freight

As 90% of goods are shipped by ocean nowadays, many importers are under time constraints that require a rapid and accurate shipment process toward the final destination. This is generally in the case for seasonal products, for electronic items, and for goods that are risky to send out by sea, they prefer to send them by air freight. 

There are 2 possible ways to deliver goods: traditional Air Cargo and Express Air Cargo.

Both have significant variations when it comes to price and service:

The traditional Air Cargo is shipped through the available space on the commercial airlines' companies like Air China, Canada, Qatari Airways, and UAE...

The express delivery by air is made by" courier companies "which operate generally through door-to-door service, including DHL, TNT, and UPS...

With Express Broker, you will get the possibility of having all of your products hand-delivered all over the world in just one week. Also, the customs procedure will not need to be handled by yourself, because this is already covered by the offer.

 Why choose air transportation ?

1. Speed

When you have to send your cargo rapidly, this is definitely the preferred solution. Nowadays, with the competitiveness of shipping in terms of rapidity, air transportation could provide you with advantages over the other competitors.

2. Reliable schedules

Most airlines maintain their schedules for arrivals or departures, or they even keep their schedules well ahead of schedule. This means that it is not necessary to reschedule your flight for the next day. In case you miss your flight, this is not so terrible as the flights are very frequent, and you can even rebook the flight for the next day.

3. The omnipresence of airports within territories

The airlines have an extensive global presence with many destinations across the world and some of them are in very remote places, making it very difficult to access them by ocean freight. This means that the cargo could be transported to some destinations that are not accessible by maritime transport.

The insurance costs will be cheaper than sea freight because of its lower duration, which means that although the air cargo is more expensive, you may save some money.

4. Safe and low-risk

Transportation by plane has the highest safety standards, with many safety regulations set at airports, both for cargo and for staff.

5. Smaller storage

The quicker delivery time of air cargo enables you to ship less quantity with more regular intervals, resulting in fewer warehouses. Custom clearances and inspections of cargo by customs are more efficient because most goods can be released in just a few hours.

The Air cargo represents only part of the "supply chain", as well as the major shipping, you will need all the required paperwork related to the import/export, including airport fees and the transportation of products to their final destination... DocShipper can help you with all these services too!

Customs procedure

In order to avoid any problem, it is necessary to get the Bill of Lading, a unique certificate that allows you to have access to the Customs declaration, as well as to the importation/exportation process, and to calculate all taxes of the products you have bought or exported.

Required documents

Through customs. The following are the documents you may need for the clearance of your goods:

Original invoice

Also referred to as a trade invoice, usually serves two functions: the customs release as well as the purchase approval.

The Bill of Lading

There are different types of Bills of Lading, such as the bill of lading. It includes all the terms of the agreement made between the carrier and the forwarder, such as point of departure/arrival, etc. In the case of Air Cargo, it is called an AWB (Air Waybill).