Sea & air shipping - China to Kenya, door to door
We move cargo by sea, air and road from China into Kenya — and we handle everything that surrounds it: supplier collection, inspection, conformity documentation, KRA clearance and final delivery. One licensed partner, one point of contact, one landed-cost number.
The economics option
Sea freight
Full container (FCL) and consolidated part-container (LCL) sailings from every major Chinese port into Mombasa, then onward to your door.
- 20ft and 40ft standard, 40ft and 45ft high cube
- Reefer, open top, flat rack and ISO tank for non-standard cargo
- LCL consolidation from 1 CBM, from USD 280 per CBM
- Haulage from Mombasa to your door anywhere in Kenya.
The speed option
Air freight
Scheduled and express air cargo into Nairobi and across the region, for urgent, high-value, perishable or low-volume shipments.
- Express air — 4–5 days
- Regular air cargo — 7–12 days
- Dangerous goods handling with proper declaration
- Temperature-sensitive and high-value cargo
Carrier Network
We book on the lines that actually serve Africa
Direct relationships and negotiated rates with the ocean carriers, airlines and express networks moving cargo between Asia and Africa — including special rates for specialised cargo.
Ocean carriers
Air cargo
Express & courier
Container Guide
Which container do you actually need?
Picking the wrong box is one of the most expensive mistakes in importing. If you are unsure, send us your cargo dimensions and we will work it out with you.
| Container | Usable volume | Payload | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft Standard | ~28 CBM | ~21 tonnes | Dense cargo — tiles, machinery, hardware |
| 40ft Standard | ~58 CBM | ~26 tonnes | General mixed cargo |
| 40ft High Cube | ~68 CBM | ~26 tonnes | Light, bulky cargo — furniture, textiles |
| 45ft High Cube | ~86 CBM | ~28 tonnes | Maximum volume per unit |
| Reefer | ~28–58 CBM | Temperature controlled | Pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics |
| Open top / flat rack | Varies | Out-of-gauge | Vehicles, plant, oversized equipment |
Figures are typical working capacities and vary by carrier and equipment. We confirm exact specifications when we book.
Door to Door
One partner for the whole journey
You can hand us the entire chain or just the legs you need. Either way, one team owns the shipment and one person answers your calls.
Collection
We arrange trucking from your supplier’s factory or market stall to the port or airport.
Inspection
Quality, quantity, packaging and labelling checked, with photo and video reports before loading.
Conformity
We coordinate Pre-Export Verification of Conformity and secure KEBS approval for regulated goods.
Loading
Supervised stuffing, sealing and booking onto the sailing or flight that fits your deadline.
Clearance
Duty and tax computation and customs clearance with KRA.
Delivery
Final-mile delivery to your warehouse, shop or site anywhere in Kenya.
Why importers move their cargo with us
On the ground in China since 2017
Our own people deal with the factories, the markets and the local authorities — not a broker in another time zone.
Landed cost, not a freight rate
We quote what the shipment will actually cost you on arrival: freight, duties, clearance and delivery in one number.
We have done the impossible deadline
200,000 units from Chinese factory floor to Kampala in five days. We plan routes other forwarders will not attempt.
Request a Quote
Tell us about your shipment
The form below covers everything we need to price your shipment properly. It takes about three minutes, and anything you are unsure about can be left as “Not sure” — we will work it out with you.
Include the country code so we can reach you quickly.
Prefer to talk it through? Call +256 760 446809 or email inquiries@xtellar.co.