Your cargo, cleared at Tin Can, Apapa, Lekki & MMIA.
We book the freight, file the Form M and PAAR, sit through the duty assessment and examination, and truck your goods to your warehouse. Traders from Balogun, Alaba and Trade Fair use us for goods from China, Turkey, the UAE, the UK and the US.
Every milestone, from origin to your warehouse
Status moves as our desk officers update it at the terminal. Documents we still need from you are flagged in yellow.
TBF-24-0917
What the goods cost once they reach your shop
Enter the supplier price and freight. We add the customs charges and our clearing costs so you can price your stock before you pay the supplier. Estimate · rates illustrative
Will it fit in a 20ft, or should you share a box?
Enter carton sizes from your supplier's packing list. We work out the cubic metres, show how full each container would be and compare shared-container (LCL) and full-container (FCL) cost.
| Item | L cm | W cm | H cm | Cartons | kg / ctn | CBM | kg | Del |
|---|
Door-to-port times into Lagos
Pick an origin and a mode. Transit counts from vessel or flight departure to arrival in Lagos, before clearing.
Book space in a box that is already sailing
Too little cargo for a full container? Deliver it to our partner warehouse at origin before the closing date and pay only for the CBM you use. Minimum booking is 1 CBM.
How many free days are left on your container
Shipping lines and terminals give a few free days after discharge. After that, charges build up every day until the box leaves the port. Rates illustrative
Duty and levy here are a combined illustrative rate. Uses the exchange rate from the landed cost worksheet above.
The paperwork for your kind of shipment
Choose what you are shipping. Tick documents off as you collect them. Missing documents are the most common reason cargo sits at the port.
| Form MYour bank, on the Single Window portal | Before shipping |
| PAARPre-Arrival Assessment Report, from Customs | After Form M |
| Bill of lading / AWBShipping line or airline, via your supplier | At loading |
| Commercial invoice & packing listYour supplier | At loading |
| SONCAP certificateFor SON-regulated goods, from an accredited agency at origin | Before arrival |
| NAFDAC permitFood, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals | Before shipping |
| NXP formFor exports, through your bank | Before stuffing |
Not sure which applies? Send us your supplier's proforma invoice and we will tell you within one working day.
Sesame, cashew, shea and hibiscus out of Lagos
We handle NXP processing, phytosanitary inspection, fumigation and stuffing at our Apapa bonded yard, then ship to buyers in Asia and Europe.
Sesame seed
- Load
- 19 MT per 20ft, 50 kg bags
- Buyers
- Qingdao, Tokyo, Mersin
- Season
- Nov – Apr
Raw cashew
- Load
- 17 MT per 20ft, jute bags
- Buyers
- Tuticorin, Ho Chi Minh City
- Season
- Feb – Jun
Shea butter
- Load
- 18 MT per 20ft, lined cartons
- Buyers
- Antwerp, Felixstowe, Houston
- Season
- All year
Dried hibiscus
- Load
- 8 MT per 20ft, pressed bales
- Buyers
- Veracruz, Hamburg
- Season
- Dec – Mar
We check your NEPC registration and file the NXP with your bank.
Quarantine officers sample the goods and issue the phytosanitary certificate.
We load at our yard, photograph every tier and record the seal number.
You receive the B/L, certificate of origin and packing list for your buyer's bank.
Tell us about the cargo. We reply within 4 working hours.
Traders who clear with us every month
"My 40ft of cookware from Ningbo was out of Tin Can in nine days. They sent me photos from the examination bay, so I knew nothing was missing before the truck left."
"I share containers from Guangzhou twice a month. I pay for my 4 or 5 CBM and nothing else, and my phone accessories come to Alaba together with the invoice."
"Air freight of lace from Istanbul used to take me three weeks with clearing. With Tincan Bridge it is usually eight days from the supplier to my shop."
What importers ask us most
How long does clearing take at Tin Can?
With complete documents, most containers clear in 5 to 10 working days after discharge. Physical examination or a query on the valuation adds 2 to 4 days. We start the PAAR before the vessel arrives so the clock starts early.
Do I need a Form M for every shipment?
Yes, for commercial imports. Your bank opens the Form M before the goods ship. Without it we cannot get a PAAR, and without a PAAR the duty cannot be assessed.
What is the difference between LCL and FCL?
FCL means you rent a whole container. LCL means your cartons share a container with other importers and you pay per cubic metre. Below about 15 CBM, LCL is usually cheaper. Use the load plan calculator above to compare.
Can I pay duty myself?
Duty is paid into Customs accounts at designated banks. We generate the assessment notice and send it to you. You can pay directly or send the money to us and we pay and share the receipt.
Do you clear used cars?
Yes, through the RoRo terminals at Tin Can and Lekki. Vehicles over the age limit cannot be cleared. Check the car import estimator above before you buy abroad.
Who pays demurrage if clearing is delayed?
The consignee pays the shipping line and terminal. If a delay is caused by our error, we cover the extra days. That is written into our agency agreement.
Visit the Apapa office or call the desk
Plot 14, Warehouse Road, Apapa, Lagos
Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00 · Sat 9:00–14:00 (WAT)