Practical guides on freight, sourcing, customs, and Incoterms for importers in the Middle East and Africa.
October 11, 2026
Who flies cargo from China to Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah after the 2026 Gulf airspace closures, what capacity and rates look like in September and October, what the 8 October attack on Riyadh airport changed, and how chargeable weight is counted.
Read article →October 11, 2026
Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027 and Ramadan is expected to start on 8 February, about ten days earlier than in 2026. When factories close, when to order and ship Ramadan and Eid stock to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and what happened to freight rates last time, checked on 11 October 2026.
Read article →October 11, 2026
What the 2026 air and sea rules mean for battery products from China: the new 30 percent charge limit, UN3480, UN3481 and UN3556, power banks, e-bikes and karts, documents, airline limits and UAE and Saudi conformity, checked on 11 October 2026.
Read article →October 11, 2026
What Amazon FBA and Fulfilled by noon require for stock shipped from China to the UAE and Saudi Arabia: importer of record and DDP, carton and pallet limits, delivery appointments, labels and shelf life, seller licences and VAT, compliance checks and the storage fee changes of 2026, checked on 11 October 2026.
Read article →October 11, 2026
How cargo from China reaches Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam while the Strait of Hormuz stays closed and the Red Sea is a war-risk area: routes, port delays, surcharges, SABER certificates, duty and VAT, checked on 11 October 2026.
Read article →October 11, 2026
Seven months into the closure: how many ships still cross Hormuz, which China services call Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Sohar, port waits, the new Fujairah rail link, surcharges, current rate indices and how cargo reaches Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, checked on 11 October 2026.
Read article →April 29, 2026
Documents, HS codes, MOFAIC attestation, duty and VAT, free zone versus mainland, and realistic timelines for clearing imports in the UAE while sea cargo enters through the east coast.
Read article →April 22, 2026
With 40ft spot rates above $8,000 and sea cargo entering the UAE through the east coast, the old 15 CBM break-even is gone. Real September 2026 numbers for full containers, market LCL and all-in consolidation.
Read article →April 15, 2026
Where Gulf buyers source in 2026 (Alibaba, 1688, Made-in-China, trade fairs), what supplier verification and inspection cost now, the red flags that end a deal, and how to stage samples and payments.
Read article →April 8, 2026
What DDP, FOB and CIF mean under Incoterms 2020, who carries the war-risk surcharge and the rerouting cost in 2026, and a worked China to Riyadh example with SABER fees and 15 percent VAT.
Read article →April 1, 2026
How cargo from China reaches Dubai in September 2026 while the Strait of Hormuz is closed: east-coast ports, sea and air rates, customs duty, VAT, MOFAIC attestation, and what an all-in door-to-door price covers.
Read article →October 10, 2026
How long shipping from China to East and West Africa takes in 2026 by sea and by air, how the Gulf crisis rerouted air cargo through Addis Ababa, which surcharges and port delays to expect, and what market players publish per kg and per cubic metre.
Read article →October 10, 2026
Two 2026 changes that decide how goods from China clear in Ghana: the EasyPASS certificate of conformity, mandatory from 1 July 2026, with its product groups, routes and fees, and the Publican AI valuation system that has reviewed every declaration since 12 March 2026.
Read article →October 10, 2026
The 2026 process for importing goods from China into Ghana: registration with a TIN or Ghana Card, the new Ghana Shippers' Authority requirement, the IDF in ICUMS, EasyPASS conformity, FDA products, duty and the VAT Act 2025, and how long clearance takes at Tema.
Read article →October 10, 2026
What you need to import goods from China into Kenya in 2026: KRA PIN and VAT, the licensed customs agent, the certificate of origin and Chinese export declaration rules, PVoC, duty and taxes with worked examples, and realistic transit times.
Read article →October 10, 2026
The 2026 process for importing goods from China into Nigeria: TIN and B'Odogwu registration, Form M through your bank, SONCAP on the National Single Window, NAFDAC for regulated products, licensed agents, the USD 300 de minimis for parcels and realistic port times.
Read article →October 10, 2026
The 2026 process for importing goods from China into Tanzania: TIN and business licence, the licensed clearing agent and the GN 487A rules for foreigners, the TANCIS pre-arrival declaration, PVoC, FCC trademark recordation, consolidation rules, duty and taxes, and the USD 50 parcel threshold.
Read article →October 10, 2026
What changed for small traders who import from China through consolidators in Kenya in August to October 2026: the minimum yield per container, the Advance Cargo Declaration, consolidator re-registration with KRA, the list of excluded goods and what to check before you ship.
Read article →October 10, 2026
How Nigeria calculates import charges on goods from China in 2026: ECOWAS tariff bands, the 7% surcharge, ETLS 0.5%, the 4% FOB levy and VAT 7.5%, the 2026 tariff changes, and worked examples for phones, laptops, fabrics, solar panels and general goods.
Read article →Get a same-day quote with rates, transit time, and a clear list of what is included.