Shipping from India to Africa and the Middle East: Ocean and Air Freight
Airlift ships from India to the Middle East and Africa by air and by full container (FCL). Bookings come through Airlift group branches in Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, with Jaipur, Gandhidham and Coimbatore. Hyderabad books most of the air cargo. Containers load mostly at Mundra, and also at Tuticorin, Kattupalli, Ennore, Cochin and Nhava Sheva, for Durban, Khor Fakkan and Jebel Ali, Jeddah, Sohar, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Port Louis, Conakry, Tema and Lagos. In carrier schedules for sailings departing October 8 to November 3, 2026, Mundra to Jebel Ali took 5–24 days port to port (P10–P90), Mundra to Mombasa 9–13, Mundra to Durban 18–51 and Mundra to Lagos (Apapa) 29–45. Since March 2026 the Strait of Hormuz crisis has limited sailings to Gulf ports, so check the routing before you book. Airlift has no office in Africa or the Middle East: the importer’s customs broker clears the goods, and Airlift coordinates the shipping documents with them.
Request an India to Africa or Middle East freight quote
How Airlift Runs This Lane
Airlift, in business since 1999, ships from India to the Middle East and Africa by air and by full container (FCL). The busiest destinations on Airlift’s bookings are Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, followed by Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Guinea and Oman, with smaller volumes to Mauritius, Ghana, Tanzania, the Gambia, Senegal, Mozambique, Angola and Morocco. Air freight is a large share of it, mainly from Hyderabad to Algiers, Riyadh, Cairo and Dubai.
Containers load mostly at Mundra in Gujarat, and also at Tuticorin, Kattupalli, Ennore and Cochin in the south and at Nhava Sheva and Hazira. They discharge at Durban and Cape Town; at Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali, Jeddah, Dammam and Sohar; at Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Port Louis; and at Conakry, Tema, Lagos, Dakar, Banjul and Luanda. In carrier schedules for sailings departing October 8 to November 3, 2026, Mundra to Jebel Ali took 5–24 days port to port (P10–P90), Mundra to Mombasa 9–13, Mundra to Durban 18–51 and Mundra to Lagos (Apapa) 29–45.
Origin work runs through Airlift group branches in India. Chennai books most of the ocean cargo and some air; Hyderabad books most of the air cargo; Kolkata books both; Jaipur, Gandhidham and Coimbatore book ocean cargo. The branches handle pickup, the Indian shipping bill and the vessel or flight booking. Airlift has no office in Africa or the Middle East: the importer’s customs broker clears the goods at destination, and Airlift coordinates the shipping documents with them. Most ocean bookings are on CFR (cost and freight) terms, with the Indian seller paying the freight to the destination port.
Quick Facts: India Africa and the Middle East
Main Ports (by Airlift Export Volume)
Origin ports and airports in India
Mundra (INMUN) in Gujarat loads most of Airlift’s containers for this lane. Tuticorin (INTUT), Kattupalli (INKAT) and Ennore (INENR) on the southeast coast and Cochin (INCOK) in Kerala carry most southern cargo, such as starch for Africa, and Nhava Sheva (INNSA) and Hazira are also used. Air cargo leaves mainly from Hyderabad (HYD), with Chennai, Ahmedabad and Delhi.
Gulf and Red Sea
Jebel Ali (AEJEA) in Dubai is the Gulf’s main container hub, inside the Strait of Hormuz; Khor Fakkan, in Sharjah on the Gulf of Oman coast, lies outside it and has carried much of the UAE’s cargo since March 2026. Sohar (OMSOH) and Salalah serve Oman, and Salalah is also a relay hub for East Africa and the Gulf. Jeddah (SAJED) on the Red Sea is Saudi Arabia’s main import port; Dammam (SADMM) serves the east coast and Riyadh, but sits inside the strait.
East and southern Africa
Mombasa (KEMBA) serves Kenya and Uganda, and some of Airlift’s Mombasa containers continue to the Nairobi inland container depot at Embakasi. Dar es Salaam (TZDAR) serves Tanzania and its landlocked neighbors, Port Louis (MUPLU) serves Mauritius and is a relay hub, and Durban (ZADUR) is South Africa’s busiest container port, with onward rail and road to Johannesburg. Cape Town (ZACPT), Nacala, Beira and Luanda are also used.
West and North Africa
Lagos (Apapa and Tin Can Island) and Port Harcourt serve Nigeria, Tema (GHTEM) Ghana, and Conakry, Dakar (SNDKR), Banjul, Freetown, Monrovia and Douala their own countries; much of this cargo relays at Lomé, Tanger Med or Colombo. Algiers (DZALG) and Alexandria (EGALY) are the main North African container ports.
- Mundra (INMUN) port code and profile
- Tuticorin (INTUT) port code and profile
- Jebel Ali (AEJEA) port code and profile
- Jeddah (SAJED) port code and profile
- Sohar (OMSOH) port code and profile
- Mombasa (KEMBA) port code and profile
- Dar es Salaam (TZDAR) port code and profile
- Durban (ZADUR) port code and profile
- Tema (GHTEM) port code and profile
- Algiers (DZALG) port code and profile
Ocean Transit Times by Port Pair (Carrier Schedules, P10–P90)
The ranges below come from published carrier schedules, not from Airlift’s own shipment history: no port pair on this lane yet has enough completed Airlift shipments for a range of its own. For each pair, the range runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile of the port-to-port transit times listed for sailings departing October 8 to November 3, 2026, in the schedule feed that Sealanes uses. Duplicate schedule entries for the same carrier, vessel, voyage and dates were counted once. A pair is listed when it had at least 10 sailings on 5 or more departure dates. Sailings listed at under 10 days were left out for southern, West and North Africa (a 10-day floor); for the Gulf, Jeddah, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Port Louis, which direct sailings reach in under 10 days, the floor is 3 days.
Wide ranges mean a mix of direct sailings and relays. Gulf cargo often relays at Salalah, Khor Fakkan or Vizhinjam, East African cargo at Colombo or Lamu, South African cargo at Coega, Port Louis or Colombo, West African cargo at Lomé, Tema or Tanger Med, and Algerian cargo at Valencia or Algeciras.
From Mundra
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Jebel Ali | 5–24 days |
| Jeddah | 14–40 days |
| Mombasa | 9–13 days |
| Dar es Salaam | 11–16 days |
| Port Louis | 11–25 days |
| Durban | 18–51 days |
| Cape Town | 24–48 days |
| Lagos (Apapa) | 29–45 days |
| Lagos (Tin Can) | 33–47 days |
| Tema | 21–44 days |
| Dakar | 36–45 days |
| Algiers | 27–38 days |
| Alexandria | 26–53 days |
From Nhava Sheva
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Jebel Ali | 5–24 days |
| Khor Fakkan | 9–21 days |
| Jeddah | 12–44 days |
| Sohar | 14–23 days |
| Mombasa | 13–16 days |
| Dar es Salaam | 13–21 days |
| Port Louis | 16–20 days |
| Durban | 22–53 days |
| Cape Town | 21–52 days |
| Lagos (Apapa) | 34–48 days |
| Tema | 17–50 days |
| Conakry | 39–66 days |
| Dakar | 34–53 days |
| Algiers | 33–40 days |
| Alexandria | 28–55 days |
From Tuticorin
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Khor Fakkan | 11–32 days |
| Jeddah | 14–40 days |
| Sohar | 25–36 days |
| Mombasa | 15–30 days |
| Dar es Salaam | 21–55 days |
| Port Louis | 15–35 days |
| Durban | 14–48 days |
| Cape Town | 41–89 days |
| Lagos (Apapa) | 31–50 days |
| Lagos (Tin Can) | 27–55 days |
| Tema | 24–84 days |
| Conakry | 43–101 days |
| Dakar | 40–68 days |
| Algiers | 29–45 days |
| Alexandria | 32–53 days |
From Kattupalli
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Jebel Ali | 14–25 days |
| Durban | 36–39 days |
| Lagos (Tin Can) | 44–54 days |
| Tema | 40–52 days |
| Dakar | 44–58 days |
| Algiers | 35–60 days |
| Alexandria | 52–69 days |
From Ennore
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Jebel Ali | 18–30 days |
| Khor Fakkan | 12–42 days |
| Jeddah | 18–57 days |
| Sohar | 26–42 days |
| Dar es Salaam | 17–29 days |
| Port Louis | 11–34 days |
| Durban | 26–51 days |
| Cape Town | 22–59 days |
| Lagos (Apapa) | 42–67 days |
| Tema | 24–43 days |
| Conakry | 44–69 days |
| Dakar | 41–56 days |
| Algiers | 28–53 days |
From Cochin
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Khor Fakkan | 12–24 days |
| Jeddah | 14–41 days |
| Mombasa | 28–40 days |
| Dar es Salaam | 11–43 days |
| Port Louis | 14–44 days |
| Durban | 27–48 days |
| Lagos (Apapa) | 44–53 days |
| Lagos (Tin Can) | 45–60 days |
| Tema | 25–43 days |
| Conakry | 55–101 days |
| Dakar | 41–67 days |
| Algiers | 30–39 days |
Each range runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile (P10–P90) of the transit times published in carrier schedules for sailings departing October 8 to November 3, 2026 (MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, HMM, ONE and Hapag-Lloyd sailings in the feed), port to port. These are planning ranges, not guaranteed transit times: Gulf sailings in particular change at short notice while the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted, so confirm the current sailing and any relay port when you request a quote. Inland legs, such as Durban to Johannesburg or Jeddah to Riyadh, come on top.
These ranges are port to port only. The glossary explains what a quoted transit time includes and which origin and destination legs it leaves out.
Shipping from India to Africa or the Middle East? Get a quote for your route.
Tell us your cargo, ready date and destination, and we’ll quote the route.Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea (as of October 2026)
Gulf: since Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to shipping in early March 2026, transits have been restricted. Carriers have moved Gulf cargo to ports outside the strait (Khor Fakkan and Fujairah in the UAE, Sohar and Salalah in Oman, and Jeddah) and on to inland and upper-Gulf destinations by road. Some carriers have suspended bookings to Dammam, Al Jubail and UAE ports inside the strait, serve Jebel Ali through a land bridge, and charge extra per container on any vessel transiting the strait; dangerous goods and out-of-gauge cargo face wider restrictions.
Red Sea: many services have avoided the southern Red Sea and the Suez Canal since late 2023, and some carriers were moving selected services back to Suez in September 2026. On this lane the Red Sea matters most for Jeddah, Egypt and Algeria; East, southern and West Africa are reached without it. Both situations change at short notice, so ask which route your sailing takes when you book.
Air Freight from India to Africa and the Middle East
Air freight is a large share of Airlift’s bookings on this lane. Most of it is booked through the Hyderabad branch, with Kolkata and Chennai, and flies from Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad or Delhi to Algiers, Riyadh, Cairo, Dubai, Dammam, Lagos and Port Harcourt, among others. Regular cargo is samples, laboratory supplies, spare parts and printing supplies. Routings connect through hubs such as Istanbul, Addis Ababa, Doha or Dubai; ask for the routing and schedule with your quote.
Air cargo is priced on chargeable weight: the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight (length × width × height in centimeters ÷ 6,000).
- Documents: air waybill, commercial invoice and packing list, with the shipping bill filed on ICEGATE at the Indian departure airport.
- Medicines and medical devices: the importer usually needs the product registered with the national regulator (for example the SFDA in Saudi Arabia, NAFDAC in Nigeria) and an import permit or approval before the cargo flies.
- Egypt: since January 1, 2026, air cargo needs an ACID number from Nafeza on the air waybill and invoice before loading.
- Dangerous goods: declare the classification and send the safety data sheet with the quote request; acceptance depends on the airline and route.
What Sets Your India–Africa or India–Middle East Freight Rate
Airlift does not publish rates for this lane online; request a quote with your dates and cargo details. The factors below explain why two quotes for the same container can differ.
- Destination port: a port with direct calls from India, such as Mombasa, Dar es Salaam or Jeddah, is usually simpler than one reached by relay, such as Conakry, Dakar or Algiers.
- Gulf routing: while the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted, cargo for Jebel Ali, Dammam or the upper Gulf may discharge at Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sohar or Jeddah and finish by road, with extra charges.
- Red Sea routing: services that avoid the southern Red Sea sail longer, and surcharges follow.
- Container size and weight: tiles, starch and metal reach road weight limits before a 40′ is full, so a 20′ is often the practical choice.
- Destination charges: terminal handling, the import declaration, delivery, and demurrage or detention after free time all sit outside the ocean rate. Agree the incoterm and ask for them up front.
- Duty and VAT are not freight: they are charged on the customs value of the goods under the destination country’s tariff.
Questions about your cargo?
Tell us what you ship and how it is packed, and a specialist will contact you.What Ships on This Lane
Top commodities (by volume)
- Samples, laboratory supplies and spare parts (mostly by air)
- Starch
- Ceramic tiles and sanitaryware
- Polypropylene woven sacks, bulk bags, ropes and twine
- Furniture and handicrafts, and aluminum sheet
Also handled
Groundnut kernels and other food products, plastic masterbatch, footwear, machinery and crusher parts, auto parts and vehicles.
A note on concentration
On some destinations a few regular shippers make up most of Airlift’s cargo, so these lists describe what Airlift has moved, not the whole market.
Import Rules by Destination Country (as of October 2026)
Airlift group branches handle export clearance in India. At destination, the importer’s customs broker files the import declaration, and Airlift coordinates the shipping documents with them. The notes below are short summaries of rules that change often; confirm the treatment for your product with the importer and its customs broker before the goods ship.
At origin: India
- Importer Exporter Code (IEC) from the DGFT: required for any export from India.
- Shipping bill filed on ICEGATE (Indian Customs EDI) with the commercial invoice and packing list; customs issues the Let Export Order after assessment.
- Preferential certificates of origin for the UAE and Oman CEPAs are applied for on the DGFT’s electronic certificate-of-origin platform; many African and Gulf buyers also ask for a non-preferential certificate of origin or chamber attestation.
United Arab Emirates
- The importer needs a trade license and a customs importer code (in Dubai, through the Dubai Trade portal).
- Duty: GCC common customs tariff, 5% on most goods, plus 5% VAT.
- India–UAE CEPA, in force since May 1, 2022: duty-free or reduced duty for goods meeting its rules of origin, claimed with a preferential certificate of origin issued in India.
Saudi Arabia
- Importers register with ZATCA and file on the FASAH platform; ZATCA expects the declaration and documents before arrival.
- SABER: a product certificate of conformity for regulated products and, since October 1, 2025, a shipment certificate of conformity for every consignment, before the customs declaration.
- SFDA registration and per-shipment permits for food, medicines and medical devices, through a licensed local agent.
- Duty follows the GCC common tariff (higher than 5% on some goods); VAT is 15%.
Oman
- India–Oman CEPA, signed December 18, 2025, in force since June 1, 2026: India’s government says it gives duty-free access to 98% of Oman’s tariff lines, covering over 99% of India’s exports by value, for goods meeting its rules of origin.
- Otherwise the GCC common tariff (5% on most goods) applies, plus 5% VAT.
Algeria
- Since July 2025, importers need an import forecast program endorsed by the trade ministry, domiciled with a single bank.
- Since May 14, 2026, every import must be domiciled with the bank before the goods ship; banks reject shipping documents dated earlier.
- Medicines and medical devices follow the pharmaceutical import specifications of the pharmaceutical industry ministry, which bar imports of products already made locally.
Egypt
- Advance Cargo Information (ACI): the importer registers each shipment on Nafeza and receives an ACID number; the exporter registers on CargoX and uploads the documents. Sea cargo since October 1, 2021; air cargo since January 1, 2026.
- The ACID number must appear on the invoice, the bill of lading or air waybill and the certificate of origin.
South Africa
- Importers register with SARS customs (registration, licensing and accreditation) and clear through a licensed customs broker.
- Some goods need an ITAC import permit (for example used goods and some controlled products) or approval from the NRCS under compulsory specifications.
- Import VAT is 15%, charged on the customs value plus a 10% uplift and duty. AfCFTA preferences apply only to goods originating in member states, not to Indian-made goods.
Nigeria
- Form M, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s import declaration, is opened through an authorized bank before shipment.
- SONCAP: a product certificate to open the Form M and a SONCAP certificate for the shipment for regulated goods, applied for through Nigeria’s National Single Window.
- NAFDAC registration and permits for food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.
Ghana and Kenya
- Ghana: declarations go through the ICUMS customs system. From January 1, 2026, VAT is 15% with the NHIL and GETFund levies (2.5% each) on the same base, and the 1% COVID-19 levy is abolished.
- Kenya: an Import Declaration Form (IDF) through the KenTrade single window, and for regulated goods a KEBS pre-export certificate of conformity (PVoC) issued in India before shipment; goods arriving without one are refused entry.
Clearance and Delivery at Destination
Airlift has no office in Africa or the Middle East. At destination, the importer’s customs broker files the import declaration and arranges collection or delivery, and Airlift coordinates the shipping documents with them: the bill of lading or air waybill, the invoice and packing list, the certificate of origin and any pre-shipment numbers the destination needs, such as an ACID number, a Form M or a SABER certificate.
Inland destinations add a leg: Durban to Johannesburg by road or rail, Mombasa to Nairobi by rail or road, Jeddah to Riyadh by road, or Khor Fakkan to Dubai by road. Agree the incoterm before you compare quotes: most of Airlift’s ocean bookings on this lane are CFR, where the Indian seller pays the freight to the destination port and the buyer takes over there.
How to Ship from India to Africa or the Middle East, Step by Step
- Request a quote: share the pickup location in India, the destination port or city, cargo-ready date, commodity, weight and dimensions or container needs, and the incoterm. Ask for an air option if the date is tight.
- Prepare the importer: confirm the destination’s pre-shipment steps, such as a SABER certificate for Saudi Arabia, an ACID number for Egypt, a Form M and SONCAP certificate for Nigeria, an IDF and PVoC certificate for Kenya, or bank domiciliation for Algeria.
- Confirm the booking: the Airlift branch in India secures vessel or aircraft space and sends the cut-offs and the routing, including any relay port.
- Pickup and stuffing: the container is stuffed at your factory or a container freight station, sealed and gated in at Mundra, Tuticorin, Kattupalli or another Indian port.
- Export customs in India: the shipping bill is filed on ICEGATE under the exporter’s IEC, with any certificate of origin the buyer needs.
- In transit: track by container, bill of lading or air waybill number; Gulf and Red Sea routings can change after departure.
- Import clearance and delivery: the importer’s customs broker files the import declaration, duty and VAT are paid, and the goods are collected or delivered.
Why Airlift for India to Africa and the Middle East
- Airlift group branches across India (14 offices) handle pickup, export documents and booking directly; this lane is booked mainly through Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata
- Air freight and ocean FCL on the same lane, coordinated by one team
- Routing answers that account for the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea disruptions
- Shipping documents coordinated with the importer’s customs broker at destination
- Shipment visibility through Airlift’s digital platform
- In business since 1999, shipping ocean and air freight
What to Include in Your Quote Request
Send these details so the team can review the route, equipment and scope of service. If something isn’t decided yet, say so in your notes.
- Pickup location in India and the destination port, airport or city.
- Commodity, with the HS code if you have it, package count, gross weight and packed dimensions, or container size and quantity.
- Cargo-ready date and the date the goods must arrive.
- Incoterm, and which services to include: pickup, export clearance, freight, import clearance and delivery.
- Destination paperwork already in hand: SABER, ACID, Form M, IDF, import permit or bank domiciliation.
- Regulated goods (such as food, medicines or dangerous goods): the registration or permit status and the safety data sheet.
The more of this you send, the more complete the quote, and the easier it is to compare with others.
Request an India to Africa or Middle East freight quote
Your route is already in the notes; edit it if you need to. Then add what you are shipping, when it is ready, pickup and delivery locations, and the services you want quoted.
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Tools and guides for this lane
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Frequently asked questions
It depends on the region. In carrier schedules for sailings departing October 8 to November 3, 2026 (P10–P90, port to port), Mundra to Jebel Ali took 5–24 days and Nhava Sheva to Sohar 14–23; Mundra to Mombasa 9–13 and Mundra to Dar es Salaam 11–16; Mundra to Durban 18–51; Mundra to Lagos (Apapa) 29–45 and Mundra to Tema 21–44; Mundra to Algiers 27–38. The table further down lists every pair with enough sailings. West African ports such as Conakry and Dakar sit at the long end because most cargo relays at Lomé, Tanger Med or Colombo. Air freight takes days rather than weeks; ask for the routing with your quote.
On Airlift’s bookings most containers load at Mundra (INMUN), with Tuticorin (INTUT), Kattupalli (INKAT), Ennore (INENR), Cochin (INCOK), Nhava Sheva (INNSA) and Hazira also used. They discharge in the Gulf at Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali (AEJEA), Jeddah (SAJED), Dammam (SADMM) and Sohar (OMSOH); in East Africa at Mombasa (KEMBA), Dar es Salaam (TZDAR) and Port Louis (MUPLU) in Mauritius; in southern Africa at Durban (ZADUR) and Cape Town (ZACPT); and in West Africa at Conakry, Tema (GHTEM), Lagos (Apapa and Tin Can), Dakar (SNDKR), Banjul and Luanda. Air cargo flies mainly from Hyderabad to Algiers, Riyadh, Cairo and Dubai.
Yes, as of October 2026. Since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping in early March 2026, carriers have limited sailings to ports inside the Gulf. Cargo for the UAE often discharges at Khor Fakkan or Fujairah, outside the strait, and finishes by road, and some carriers have suspended bookings to Dammam and Al Jubail; Jeddah, Sohar and Salalah have stayed open. Expect routing changes, extra charges and limits on dangerous or out-of-gauge cargo, and confirm the routing when you book.
Only some of them. East and southern African ports are reached across the Indian Ocean, directly or via Colombo or Port Louis, and West Africa around the Cape of Good Hope or through Mediterranean hubs such as Tanger Med. Cargo for Algeria, Egypt’s Mediterranean ports and Jeddah depends on the Red Sea, which many services have avoided since late 2023. As of October 2026, some carriers were moving selected services back to Suez while the security situation near the Bab el-Mandeb strait remained unsettled. Ask which route your sailing takes.
Yes, and on this lane air freight is a large share of what Airlift books. Most of it leaves Hyderabad, with Chennai, Ahmedabad and Delhi also used, for Algiers, Riyadh, Cairo, Dubai, Dammam, Lagos and Port Harcourt. Typical cargo is samples, laboratory supplies, spare parts and other urgent consignments. Regulated goods such as medicines usually need the importer’s product registration and an import permit before they fly, and Egypt now needs an ACID number on the air waybill, so start the paperwork before you book.
The India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement has been in force since May 1, 2022. India’s government says the UAE is eliminating duty on over 97% of its tariff lines, covering 99% of India’s exports by value, phased by product. To claim the CEPA rate the goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin, and the exporter applies for a preferential certificate of origin on DGFT’s electronic certificate-of-origin platform; the UAE importer presents it at clearance. Without it, the GCC common tariff applies (5% on most goods) plus 5% VAT (as of October 2026).
Usually, yes. SABER is the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization’s online conformity platform. A product certificate of conformity (PCoC) is issued for regulated products, and since October 1, 2025, a shipment certificate of conformity (SCoC) is needed for every imported consignment, regulated or not, before the customs declaration is filed on ZATCA’s FASAH platform. Food, medicines and medical devices go through the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) instead, with registration by a local agent and a permit per shipment. Customs duty follows the GCC common tariff and VAT is 15% (as of October 2026).
Prior bank domiciliation. Under a Banque d’Algérie instruction of May 14, 2026, an import must be domiciled with the importer’s bank before the supplier ships, and banks check that the shipping documents are dated after the domiciliation. Since July 2025 importers also need an import forecast program (programme prévisionnel d’importation) endorsed by the trade ministry, domiciled with a single bank. Medicines and medical devices fall under Algeria’s pharmaceutical import rules, which exclude products already made locally. Ship only once the Algerian buyer confirms the domiciliation (as of October 2026).
Yes, for sea and air cargo. Egypt’s Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system requires the importer to register each shipment on the Nafeza platform, which issues a 19-character ACID number; the exporter must be registered on CargoX and upload the shipping documents there. The ACID must appear on the invoice, the bill of lading or air waybill and other documents, and cargo without one is refused. ACI has applied to sea cargo since October 1, 2021, and became mandatory for air cargo on January 1, 2026.
Both, for most goods. Form M is the Central Bank of Nigeria’s import declaration, opened through an authorized bank before the goods ship. Regulated products need a SONCAP product certificate from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to open the Form M and a SONCAP certificate for the shipment; food, drugs and other regulated health products need NAFDAC registration and permits instead. SONCAP applications are linked to Nigeria’s National Single Window. Ask the Nigerian buyer for the Form M number before you book.
No. The African Continental Free Trade Area cuts duty only on goods that originate in its member states, so Indian-made goods pay the importing country’s normal rate. South Africa started AfCFTA preferential trade on January 31, 2024. In South Africa the importer must be registered with SARS customs, some goods need an ITAC import permit or NRCS approval, and import VAT is 15% (as of October 2026). The trade agreements on this lane that do cut duty for Indian goods meeting their rules of origin are the India–UAE CEPA, the India–Oman CEPA (in force since June 1, 2026) and the India–Mauritius CECPA (in force since April 1, 2021).
No. Airlift group branches in India, 14 offices in all, handle the origin side: this lane is booked mainly through the Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata branches, with Jaipur, Gandhidham and Coimbatore. They handle pickup, the Indian shipping bill and the booking. At destination the importer’s customs broker clears the goods, and Airlift coordinates the shipping documents with them.
In the last two years Airlift’s containers on this lane moved mostly with Maersk and MSC, followed by CMA CGM, ONE, Hapag-Lloyd and COSCO, with regional feeder operators on some Gulf sailings. Many routings relay: West African cargo often at Tanger Med, Lomé or Tema, Gulf cargo at Salalah, and some East African cargo at Colombo. Service rotations change often on these trades, so ask which carrier and relay port your quote assumes.
On request, but almost all of Airlift’s ocean cargo on this lane moves in full containers, mostly 40′ high cubes, with 20′ boxes for dense cargo such as tiles, starch and aluminum. For small, urgent consignments, air freight is usually the practical alternative. Ask for both options if your shipment is between a few pallets and a full container.
Send a quote request using the form on this page; Airlift does not publish rates for this lane online. Include the pickup location in India, the destination port or city, cargo-ready date, commodity and HS code, weight and dimensions or container size and number, and the incoterm. Name the importer’s customs broker if you know it, and mention any permits the destination needs, such as a SABER certificate, an Egyptian ACID number, a Nigerian Form M or an Algerian bank domiciliation.