East Africa’s dominant port operator, Maersk, will from today impose a fresh “Operational Cost Imports” surcharge on every container landing cargo in Kenya, sparking immediate anger among traders who fear higher prices for everything from electronics to food.
The Danish shipping giant announced that every 20-foot dry container will attract an extra $18 (KSh 2,330), while a 40-foot box will cost $33 more. Refrigerated containers carrying fruit, flowers and medicine face even steeper fees.
Maersk blames the charge on new mandatory pre-arrival inspections introduced in July by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), which now require every container, full or empty, to be presented for checks. Carriers must also submit manifests days in advance, triggering longer dwell times at Mombasa port and higher handling costs.
Industry leaders have reacted with fury. Shippers Council of Eastern Africa chief executive Agayo Ogambi described the surcharge as a direct threat to Kenya’s competitiveness. “We are already among the priciest destinations in the region,” he said. “Adding yet another fee that importers have no control over will simply be passed straight to consumers at a time when households are already struggling.”
Clearing agents in Mombasa warned that the cost will cascade through supply chains. Bulk buyers of rice, sugar, cooking oil and construction materials expect to raise prices within weeks. Small traders told Uzalendo News they may be forced to cut orders altogether.
The Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association called on the government to intervene urgently, arguing that security and biosecurity goals should not be funded by private importers alone.
Maersk insists the surcharge is necessary to recover “additional operational costs” and will be reviewed quarterly. For now, however, Kenyan shoppers look set to feel the pinch from the docks to the shelves.
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