Freight is where importers lose control of their costs. The goods are simple: you agree a price and pay it. Shipping has three modes, four or five cost lines, a customs valuation you do not control, and a port that charges you rent while you argue. Here is how the China to Africa lane actually works.

Air or sea, and how to decide

Air cargo is priced per kilogram, with a twist: bulky-but-light cargo is charged on volumetric weight, so a box of 40 by 30 by 20 centimetres can be billed as 4kg even if it weighs 2kg. Sea freight is priced per cubic metre for part-container loads, or per container for full loads.

The rough rule: if the goods are dense and valuable per kilo, fly them. Phones, laptops, watches and cosmetics belong on air. If they are bulky and cheap per kilo, ship them. Furniture, tiles, plastic goods, bulk apparel and vehicles belong on the water.

Transit times on our own services give you the shape of it. Express air runs two to three days. Standard air is ten to twelve days. Battery cargo, which includes power banks, smartwatches, earbuds and anything with a built-in cell, moves on restricted services and takes eighteen to twenty-one days. Sea freight to Ghana takes one to two months door to warehouse.

Batteries change everything

Lithium batteries are dangerous goods. They require specific packing, labelling and documentation, and they cannot travel on a standard passenger-belly service. Practically, that means a slower route and a higher rate per kilogram than general cargo, and it is the reason a phone shipped by air costs a fixed amount per handset rather than a per-kilo rate.

If you mix battery items into a general shipment without declaring them, you risk the whole consignment being held. Declare them and accept the slower service.

Incoterms: know what you are actually buying

Three terms cover most China to Africa trade. Ex-works means the goods are yours at the factory gate and you pay for everything after that. FOB means the supplier delivers to the Chinese port and clears export, then freight is on you. CFR means freight to your destination port is included, but duty, port charges and clearing at your end are not.

The common mistake is reading CFR as "delivered". It is not. Our vehicle prices, for example, are quoted FOB Shanghai, and the sea freight you select at checkout takes them to CFR Tema, Takoradi or Lagos. Import duty, port charges and clearing in Ghana still sit with the buyer.

What you pay at the Ghana end

Import declarations go through ICUMS, the customs platform, and are lodged by a licensed clearing agent. Duty is assessed on the CIF value that customs determines, using its own valuation references, plus VAT, NHIL, GETFund and applicable levies. VAT rules changed at the start of 2026, so check current rates with your agent rather than relying on last year's numbers.

Clean shipments at Tema often clear within three to seven working days. Documentation problems, valuation disputes or physical examination stretch that out, and storage and demurrage start counting from discharge. Free storage periods are short, commonly one to two weeks, and they are the difference between a profitable shipment and a break-even one.

Vehicles have their own rulebook, and it changed in 2026

Two things matter before you buy a car in China for the Ghanaian market. First, duty: the Ghana Revenue Authority applies an overage penalty on vehicles more than ten years old from the year of manufacture, rising with age, on top of normal duty and levies. Right-hand-drive vehicles have historically been prohibited.

Second, and this is new, the Ghana Standards Authority issued Public Notice GSA/DGS/PN/26/09 on 14 August 2026. From 1 October 2026 it enforces Ghana Standard 4510 for imported used vehicles. Used vehicles more than fifteen years old are barred, along with flood-damaged, fire-damaged and chassis-damaged units and cars assembled from parts. Every used vehicle must be inspected in the country of origin by a GSA-approved inspection body, which issues a Certificate of Conformance before shipment. The trigger date is the shipping date, not the arrival date.

In practice that means the inspection now happens in China, before the car is loaded. If you are buying vehicles out of China, build that step and its cost into your plan.

Documents to have ready

• Commercial invoice and packing list that match the cartons exactly
• Bill of lading or air waybill
• Correct HS codes for each line, agreed with your clearing agent in advance
• Permits where the product needs them, for example FDA approval for food, drugs and cosmetics
• For vehicles: title or export certificate, and from October 2026 a Certificate of Conformance

Five habits that keep freight costs down

• Consolidate. One 30kg shipment beats three 10kg shipments almost every time, because rates drop as weight rises.
• Measure your cartons before you book air freight, not after.
• Start the customs declaration while the goods are still in transit.
• Insure the shipment. Every consignment we move is covered against damage, loss and theft in transit, and it costs far less than one lost carton.
• Keep one contact accountable for the whole chain, from factory floor to your warehouse.

See our current air and sea rates to Ghana, or send us your packing list and we will quote the landed cost.