Cost Of Shipping A Container To Zimbabwe
Published by Chris Townsend
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Container To Zimbabwe?
The cost of shipping a container to Zimbabwe may vary by several factors that will affect its cost. Even though the Three Movers team has already sharpened its expertise in the moving and shipping business, the cost doesn’t always have the same range because our clients’ locations are different. We also know that if we adopt the one-size-fits-all mentality, then some of our needs won’t be attended to. That is why we have multiple options available that you can choose from. The details are listed below.
Three Movers is an international container hauling company that specializes in moving cars, and international freight across the world. We are one of the top shipping companies available, with relocating services for both commercial and personal use! We have every type of transportation option available, whether you need international or domestic moving. Our staff can help you find the perfect combination of hauling services to suit your needs in all shipping lines.
Factors that Affect the Cost of Hauling a Container
When relocating a container in Zimbabwe, there are several factors that will affect the cost. This includes:
- The volume and weight of the container. The more items you fit into your container, the higher the costs will be. The same applies to its weight.
- The mode of transportation used. Commonly, there are two ways for you to ship your items. It’s either via sea or air.
- The distance. The farther you ship it from the destination, the more expensive it will be.
- The peak period. The busiest period in Zimbabwe is from July to October because their game-viewing activities are at their peak. Make sure to plan this months before so you can avoid additional costs.
- The destination port: Zimbabwe’s main port is located in Chiredzi. The reason why this affects the hauling cost is that there are certain country requirements, restrictions, forms, and certificates you need to be mindful of. Some wildlife products are banned through international conventions governing their trade, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The Government of Zimbabwe requires the following import documentation: a bill of entry plus relevant invoices, documents such as a bill of lading, freight statements, and certificates of origin, especially for products entering from member states of SADC and the PTA.
Which Size of Container Works Best for Me?
There are two most commonly used types: 20 and 40-foot containers. They differ in their storage capacity and appearance.
The amount of load you have will be a factor to consider in determining the cost of your shipment. The good thing is that if the number of goods is less than the container, then you won’t have to worry about the additional cost because you can share it with other customers. This is what we call the Less Than Container Load (LCL) option. On the other hand, if your items can fit a whole container, it is Full Container Load (FCL).
Besides being cheaper when compared to LCL, FCL is more advantageous because It will be shipped faster, and more secure, and you won’t have to worry about the items you fit in it because you have the space all to yourself.
Average Relocating Rates Estimates
FCL shipping is best for transporting lots of boxes, pallets and anything that will require a full container shipping to Zimbabwe of up to 45,000 lbs.
Full Container Load (FCL) Shipping Rates | |
|---|---|
| 20 ft | $1650 |
| 40 ft | $1855 |
LCL shipping is a more affordable way to transport less to Zimbabwe.
Less Than Container (LCL) Shipping Rates | |
|---|---|
| LCL | $140/CBM |
| Personal Effects | $855 |
| Household Goods | $1350 |
International House moving to Zimbabwe services - quick, easy, and cheap.
International House Moving Costs | |
|---|---|
| Partial House (2000Lbs & Less) | $845 |
| 1 Bedroom (3850 Lbs) | $1740 |
| 2 Bedroom (4500 Lbs) | $2945 |
| 3+ Bedroom (8750 Lbs) | $4460 |
International auto transport services to Zimbabwe via RoRo and container ships. Ship cars, trucks, suvs, atv's, boats, RV's, heavy equipment and more.
Container Car Shipping | |
|---|---|
| Sedan via RORO | $1340 |
| SUV via RORO | $1575 |
| Sedan (Container) | $2340 |
| SUV (Container) | $2410 |
Understanding the Different Types of Freight Transportation
Goods can be shipped to Zimbabwe through either the sea or the air.
- Sea Freight Transportation. This course of action is recommended if there is no pressing time crunch. Although shipment time will be longer than with air freight, you can cut your costs by as much as five times.
- Air Freight Transportation. We advise selecting this alternative if the speed of relocating is an important factor. It will help you save time and make your container safer at the same time. Yet, the price will increase to be at least five times as expensive as the cost of shifting overseas.
Additional Costs
As we already mentioned earlier, there are several factors to consider in shipping a container in Zimbabwe. Among are:
- The volume and weight of the items to be shipped
- The type of transportation used
- Distance
- The destination port
- The peak period
- The shipping line
But that’s not all. You may need to consider other factors due to importing procedures such as:
- Custom fees
- Insurance
- General Rate Increase (GRI)
- Inland Delivery Charges
- Quarantine and Container Inspection fees
Relevant Statistics
- On average, approximately 850 shifting containers are sent to Zimbabwe each month.
- More than 90% of the imported goods in Zimbabwe arrive via containers.
- The cost of relocating a standard 20-foot container to Zimbabwe ranges between $2,000 and $2,500.
- Roughly 75% of the containers destined for Zimbabwe are used for commercial purposes.
- Zimbabwe's main ports handle over 25,000 containers annually, contributing to its robust import-export trade.
General Facts
- Relocating containers are widely used for transporting goods internationally.
- Zimbabwe has a well-established shipping network, making it accessible for container transportation.
- The main ports in Zimbabwe for receiving shipping containers are Beira and Durban.
- Containers can be transported by land or sea to reach Zimbabwe.
- Proper documentation and customs clearance are required for shipping containers entering Zimbabwe.
What’s Next
Now that you’re knowledgeable enough, then you are ready to get a free quote from us so let’s get started by either filling up the form or giving us a call at (888) 202-0036.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just like every other country in the world, special attention is given to the documentation process for someone shipping cargo or goods to Zimbabwe. The documentation process requires the shipper to make available important documents such as a bill of lading, certificate of origin, bill of entry, suppliers’ invoices, value declaration form, cargo manifest, insurance statement, agent/importer’s worksheet, packing list, and tax clearance certificate to the authorities in charge of regulating or monitoring shipments into the country.
A bill of lading is one of several documents required for shipping commercial cargo into a country. It is a very important document that ensures that an exporter gets paid and the importer receives his goods as well. The document contains details of the contract of carriage and it is issued by the carrier or mover. Additionally, the document sometimes serves as a receipt for the shipper or importer.
If a person loses the bill of lading for his cargo, the person is obliged to get a letter from the mover that clearly states that the bill of lading is lost. However, in some cases where the letter is not sufficient enough, the person should get a letter of indemnity drafted by a bank or insurance company, and a court order.
Authorities in Zimbabwe do not allow the importation of certain items into the country and this is mostly centered on economic and safety reasons.
For instance, items like harmful drugs, expired drugs, hazardous substances, pornographic materials, bleaching creams, bleaching soaps, and bleaching lotions are not allowed into the country.
Taxes and duties are mandatory fees imposed by the government of a country on imported products.
Zimbabwe uses the GATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) system for their tariffs, and their duties range majorly between 15% and 20%. Import duties, value-added tax, and surtax are the major levies imposed by the government of Zimbabwe on imported goods or cargo.
Shipping duties are tariffs imposed by the government on imported goods, and it’s based on the type of goods you are importing. The major goal of a shipping duty is to reduce dependency on foreign products.
Shipping Taxes on the other hand are levies that the government places on all purchases of goods and services in the country.
There are few cases whereby a container is built to be waterproofed; however, the majority of shipping containers are built to be water-resistant. In other words, they are built in a way that normal rainfall is kept out of it.
Also, most shipping containers are built with small pressure vents which allows the container to get ventilated. However, ensure that your shipping container is new because old ones may not be well-ventilated.
Although the three of them do play important roles in the shipping of cargo into a country, there is a dissimilarity between them.
An NVOCC operation involves sales and transporting of the vessel to gateway ports, while the broker is the middleman handling negotiations between the shipper and the carrier. A freight forwarder only takes charge of all the processes involved in shipping the goods from the manufacturer to the final destination.
Generally, the 20ft and 40ft containers are the ones used for international shipping; however, there’s a maximum weight demand for these containers.
The 20ft container is able to accommodate a cargo that is weighing up to 28 tons, while a 40ft container is capable of carrying cargo that is weighing up to 29 tons.
The transit time for a “Full Container Load”, “empty container” shipment and a “Less Than Container Load” shipment differ from each other. This is because an entire container is being used by one customer for an FCL shipment, which enables a straightforward transition of goods from the origin to their destination. In contrast, an LCL shipment involves many people sharing the space in one container for their shipments, which tends to give a haphazard route pattern for the goods in the container.
It is very important for a shipper to have insurance for his cargo. Aside from the fact that an insurance statement or an insurance cover is one of the most important documents needed by importers, insurance tends to provide a financial backup for your goods or cargo in case the cargo experiences damages or a shipping accident.
