FAQs & Reviews

is a legal binding document or contract between a freight carrier/shipping line and the shipper. It is also referred to as a document of title. It is issued by the carrier (Person who transports and delivers goods) to the shipper (person who supplies and/or owns the goods – also known as a Consignor), detailing the type, quantity and destination of the goods being carried. It also confirms goods were received in an acceptable condition and are ready to be shipped. This is a mandatory document in any kind of shipping.

A delivery order is a document issued by the carrier /shipping line to the appointed clearing agent proving that the consignee (owner of cargo) has authorized the clearing agent to handle and deliver their cargo. It is issued in exchange of releasing the cargo to the legal consignee mentioned in the Bill of Lading.A delivery order is only issued once all shipping line charges are paid and Bill of Lading surrendered. The port of Mombasa and any Container Freight Station will not allow release of the cargo without seeing a valid Delivery Order.

A Customs Bonded warehouse is a warehouse licensed by the Commissioner of Customs for the storage of goods imported into the region pending the payment of duties. The goods are stored in the joint custody of the bonded warehouse keeper and Customs, under bond.

This is an amendment document issued by the shipping line with approval from KRA requesting for change of details in the cargo manifest.

documents required vary depending on the commodity being shipped. On most occasions you will require the following documents:
Letter of Authority from Consignor/Consignee.
Bill of Lading
Certificate of Origin
Commercial invoice:
Packing list:
Certificate of Analysis
Foreign log book (For Motor vehicles)
Certificate of conformity (if required)
Insurance (Optional)
Import Declaration form
Fumigation Certificate (if Required)
Port Health Certificate (For Food Items)
DVS permits (for animals and animal products)
Permits from relevant authorities (ERC for electronic items, KEPHIS for plant related products)

Air Waybill (AWB) Commercial invoice:
Packing list:
Form C52 (imports)
Certificate of origin (if required)
Certificate of conformity (if required)
Import Declaration form

Yes. Over the years, Shipmarc has specialized in handling of a variety of project cargo, both in and out of the oil and gas industry,

Yes. All damages and evidence of damage is put together and request for re-export of damaged goods is done.

Yes. All perishable goods can be imported / exported in specialized containers (Refer Containers) using a prior release process.

SFC can assist with warehousing of goods through our local partners with the expertise in warehousing and bonded facilities.

The original bill of lading/ express bill of lading, Commercial invoice, packing list and Foreign log book (For Motor vehicles) are mandatory documents and cargo cannot be shipped without them. In some cases, the certificate of origin is required for cargoes coming from COMESA, EAC etc as they enjoy certain tax privileges.

We can distinguish between different kinds of ships for maritime transport, depending on the load they transport:
General freighters: These are basic cargo ships; they can carry loose or uncontainerized cargo, but have no space for containers
Container ships: Ships specially designed to carry goods in containers. They monopolize the majority of international dry freight transport and represent more than a half of all maritime trade.
Bulk carriers: The vessels best suited to transporting solid bulk cargoes.
Oil/gas tankers: Special tankers for transporting crude oil and by-products differentiated by their superior technical characteristics; all of them guarantee water tightness and structural resistance. Gas tankers have more sophisticated technology for storing liquefied gas and are divided into carriers of GNL and GLP, given that each one needs to be kept at a different pressure and temperature.
Reefer ships: Transport perishable food and commodities which must generally be preserved at very low temperatures
Ro-Ro ships: Have ramps and platforms for transporting vehicles with wheels, from private cars to industrial vehicles and loaded trucks. There are also hybrid versions of these ships which combine vehicle and passengers transport (ferries) and others that transport vehicles carrying containers (Ro-Lo)

Dangerous goods are classified according to the ADR (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road), as follows:
Class 1: Explosive substances and articles
Class 2: Gases
Class 3: Flammable liquids
Class 4.1: Flammable solids
Class 4.2: Substances liable to spontaneous combustion
Class 4.3: Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
Class 5.1: Oxidizing substances
Class 5.2: Organic peroxides
Class 6.1: Toxic substances
Class 6.2: Infectious substances
Class 7: Radioactive materials
Class 8: Corrosive substances
Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles

Exporter = is a person or company or entity that is authorised by Customs and Govt authorities to export cargoes to various countries..
This is also the party responsible for filing the export declaration with the customs authorities.. Exporter may or may not be the seller of the goods..
Shipper = is a person or company or entity that is shown in all the shipping documents (bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list) as the party responsible for procuring and/or placing the order for shipment and maybe also for arranging the freight payment etc..
Shipper shown on the bill of lading need not necessarily be a registered exporter and may or may not be the seller of the goods..
A Freight Forwarder can also be shown as the shipper on a line’s master bill of lading..

A court order may be secured, which advises the carrier (shipping line) to deliver the goods to the holder of the title of the goods, based on a surety bond given by the entity claiming the goods, for an amount approved by the court..
The carrier also should receive a Letter of Indemnity indemnifying the carrier or any person injured by delivery, against liability under the outstanding original bill.. The court also may order payment of reasonable costs and attorney’s fees to the carrier..
Certain lines accept a Letter of Indemnity if it is signed by a bank who would then take joint liability to return the original bills of lading (if found)..
However, a few precautions also needs to be taken such as :
1. It is merely an evidence that the loss occurred and that the original title holder had the intention of cancelling the original bill of lading issued..
2. Carrier should understand who holds the title to the cargo and issue a duplicate set only to that entity as there have been cases where the entity that doesn’t hold the title to the goods has advertised about the loss and has convinced the carrier to issue second set of originals whereas the first set is still in the hands of its legal owner and was not actually lost..

Yes. As much as a door-to-door service will seem costlier initially, a port-to-port service will require you to organise the handling and transporting of your cargo at its destination port. Opting for a complete service from us can be a great way of reducing the stress of your move and ensuring safe delivery of your item/ products.

We have presence in all countries through our partner networks. Please let us know your frequent origin and destination ports. We are in Africa, Europe, UK, USA, China, India, Japan and many more.

We respond within the shortest time possible, we will need you to confirm shipping terms and provide a commercial invoice and packing list for quotation purposes.

Yes we do. We require a detailed packing list with dimensions and weight of the vehicle or Machinery. Shipping overweight and oversize cargo requires planning in advance to ensure the best shipping option is provided for our customers.

Based on the East Africa Common Tariff. Each product is classified and taxed as per the tariff

To regulate the standard of goods to ensure it meets the set standards for importation into the country.