Container shipping Rotterdam to Mombasa
You want to ship a container from Rotterdam to Mombasa (KEMBA)? Sea freight has many pluses: you can ship heavy cargo for a good price, it is flexible and it is eco-friendly. Transporting containers with freight like gas-based fuels or cars and other vehicles can be done via e.g. Pacific International Lines. When you are exporting, you can choose from various types of containers. An important point of attention is a complete full container (FCL) and (LCL) Less Container Load. Via our freight forwarders you will get lots of practical information for the purpose of international transport Mombasa (KE MBA). We get you inside-information about the different types and ways of sea freight. You can make use of our 5 step export plan. Fill out the form and get a quote with a competitive rate.
- Ocean shipping is a good, secure and relatively cheap way to import and export goods internationally.
- Compared to air transport, it offers more capacity and value.
- Sea freight is great for international movings and shipping liquids or bikes.
- The Port of Mombasa offers excellent transit options in Kenya.
- Commonly container types are: 20 footers, 40 footers and Hard-Top, Dry Van, Flat Rack, Refrigerated, Tank, Ventilated containers.
Main topics
Shipping to Mombasa (KEMBA) from Rotterdam (NLRTM)
Ocean freight shipping is the process of transporting items or goods by ship. Your products are wrapped up in shipping containers. The freight forwarder will book a container. A shipping vessel will be ready for your goods at the port of Mombasa (KE MBA), and will be shipped by sea to the customs at the arrival port. They can get you services like port-to-port, door-to-port, port-to-door or door-to-door. In the list below we offer useful information about the port of destination.
| Port of departure | Port of Rotterdam (NLRTM) |
| Country of departure | Netherlands |
| Port of destination | Port of Mombasa |
| Country of destination | Kenya |
| Port Code | KEMBA |
| Transit Time | +/- 30 days |
| Shipping prices | $$$ |
| Local address | P.O Box 95009 Mombasa Kenya |
| kenya@containershippingservice.com | |
| Website | www.kpa.co.ke |
| Phone | 254-041-2312211 |
Freight Forwarder Rotterdam – port of Mombasa
- Enter freight details
Enter the port of origin (POO) and the port of destination. Determine your container terms: (FCL) full containers or (LCL) Less Container Load. Also choose the size of the container (20 ft, 40 ft of 40 ft high cube).
- Packing the container
Firstly, ensure the freight is properly packaged. To ensure that the cargo remains in good condition, we advise to put everything on pallets. Make sure your cargo is labelled correctly.
- Common Export Documents
When exporting cargo to Mombasa (KEMBA), you should organize up-to-date export documents (for correct national customs papers): bill of lading, export/import customs declaration, certificates of origin, packing list, commercial invoice. A Bill of Lading is a document or contract that is provided to the shipper confirming goods were received in an acceptable condition and noticing that the cargo is well packed for transport.
- Determine the desired Incoterm
Incoterms are the terms used in international shipping to define obligations, costs, and risks involved in the delivery of goods. The Incoterm states who bears responsibility for e.g. insurance, transport and all documents. Widely used incoterms are Ex Works (EXW), Delivery Duty Paid (DDP), Free On Board (FOB).
- Ocean freight tracking
Use cargo tracking to see where your shipping is at this moment. You will get a notification when the shipping is departed from POL (Port of loading), arrived at Port of Destination (POD) and when the cargo has reached its desired final destination.
Sea freight from Mombasa (KEMBA) to Rotterdam (NLRTM): find a suitable container
You are going to ship a container from port of Mombasa – (KE MBA) to port of Rotterdam – (NL RTM)? It is crucial to book the right container for your cargo. They are available in different sizes (20 foot, 40 foot) and multiple transport options (FCL shipping or LCL shipping). Popular shipping lines include APL, CMA CGM, Maersk, MOL, MSC, ZIM. Important towns around the port are Mombasa, Kwale, Mariakani, Kinango, Gazi, Takaungu, Sawasawa, Kilifi, Shimoni, Malindi, Voi, Wundanyi, Kipini, Witu, Taveta, Lamu, Makueni, Wote, Kitui, Namanga. In the paragraph below we help you choose the right type and provide info about the most commonly seen options for sea freight. You can also click directly to information about Shipping lines.
Information and benefits of 20 ft container
20 ft. containers (a.k.a. dry van) is the most versatile container type. They are easy to stack on the vessel, which means they are cheaper to ship. Ideal for the transportation of bulk goods and household goods and international movings. Some extra info: 1 TEU is the indication for 1 20 foot container.
- This box is widely used for transporting cargo via the ocean.
- A 20-foot container know the following size description: 5898 (l) x 2390 (h) x 2350 (w) mm.
- You can use 11 pallets on one tier.
- A lot can be loaded in terms of goods weight: +/- 27.000 kilogram.
Explanation about a 40 FT container
A40 foot container is standard applied to shipping bulk goods. They can carry between 23 and 24 Europallets in one tier. This makes it an excellent choice for transporting bulk goods by sea. What you may not know: you can also choose a higher ‘high cube’ version. Thereby you have a little more height. This makes them particularly useful for niche applications.
- The ideal means of transport for large loads.
- The dimensions are as follows: 12.025m long x 2.352m wide x 2.393m high.
- Up to 23 Europallets can be stuffed in a 40′ container.
- The maximum load is +/- 28.100 kilogram.
Ocean Freight Cost Calculator: get shipping rates
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What is the meaning of FCL container?
When you want to ship large quantities of goods, than you can reserve your own full container. Freight carriers then talk about FCL (Full Container Load). All cargo space is used exclusively for you. There are many advantages to it: ideal transit time, chance of damage is reduced to a minimum and it’s more cost-effective. Pay attention to the disadvantages: you need large volume to be viable and it is harder to unload the FCL shipment. Have your cargo depart from another port? See also Antwerp to Mombasa (KEMBA) and Hamburg to Mombasa (KEMBA).
- The goal of FCL is that the container only holds your cargo.
- Load directly from factory or storage.
- Relevant when you are sending more than 15 m3.
- Available at: e.g. CMA CGM, COSCO, Maersk, ONE, MSC.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of LCL containers?
If you want to transport a small cargo by sea, it might be cheaper to book a partial shipment (shared container). Logistics experts treat that as a LCL (Less Than Container Load) agreement. What we mean by LCL is that you share space with others. There are many benefits like: for smaller loads, it is way cheaper than a full container, the handling and insurance costs are limited and it offers consistent weekly sailing schedules for sea freight. Watch out: if 50% of the container consists of your goods, then FCL is a better choice. The cost of LCL is based on the volume and weight of the packages.
- The goal of LCL is that you reserve space in a partial container.
- For low-volume shipments of between 4 m3 & 16 m3.
- Deal for cargo that does not fill the entire container.
- Wide availability in all months of the year.
- Available at: e.g. Evergreen, POL, ZIM, Wan Hai, HMM.
Other special types of containers
There exist a lot of box-types for international cargo shipping. There is a suitable solution for every type of cargo. The most common type is the Dry van. But there are also specific options for oils or chemicals, meat, fish and frozen foods or fragile items. You can read all about it in the section below. You can also check more information about shipping to Mar del Plata (ARMDQ), port of Kandla (INIXY), Santo Domingo (DOSDQ) harbor and terminal Ha Kwai Chung (HKHKC).
- Bulk Containers: used for transport of foodstuffs or bulk such as wheat and other grain crops.
- Flat Rack Containers: it is flat and cargo can be loaded either from the sides or from the top.
- Hard-Top Containers: for shipping heavy to very heavy cargo.
- High-Cube Containers: perfect when some extra height is required.
- Insulated Containers: for transporting goods with the need of low temperature for a short distance.
- Open-Top Containers: for the transportation of goods like glass and marble blocks.
- Palletwide Containers: designed to accommodate a larger amount of Euro pallets.
- Refrigerated Containers: reefers are ideal for cold storage like perishables, frozen goods and pharmaceutical products.
- Tank Containers: ideal for transport and distribution of bulk liquids.
- Ventilated Containers: specially for cargoes which have to be ventilated in transit.
Freight types: what do you want to transport by sea?
Shipping stuff by ocean from Rotterdam (NLRTM) to Mombasa (KEMBA) has many benefits: attractive prices, you can ship easily big and high volume cargo and containers can also be used for further transportation by road or rail. Much seen ocean cargo that are transported by sea are: dry bulk, liquid bulk, break bulk, containerized, neo bulk. Below we explain some goods/cargo.
- Car shipping: you can ship your vehicle practically anywhere in the world.
- House Moving: excellent logistic support in case of relocation.
- Removals (Household Goods): quickly and easily ship your household effects to another city.
- Liquid Bulk: e.g. kerosene, diesel, gasoline, petroleum, biofuels, hydrogen.
- Dry Bulk: coal, grain, iron ore and coils, salt, lumber, sand.
- Roll on Roll off (RORO): vessel has facilities to enable road or rail vehicles to roll on and roll off.
- Breakbulk: small containers of freight are unloaded from pallets and packed into the ship’s hold.
- Retail & other: goods like art and antiques, toys, clothes, medical/pharmacy, electronic goods & furniture, food, fashion, shoes, machines.
All about international transport (FAQ)
Shipping a container from Rotterdam (NL) to Mombasa lasts about 30 days. The total distance is about 7200 nautical miles. This is roughly equivalent to 13334 kilometers. When you export something, you will receive updates about the ETD and ETA. ETD means the Expected or Estimated Time of Departure. ETA stands for Estimated time of arrival of the ship or truck. There are many factors that determine the final shipping time: vessel speed, weather and port inspection.
Shipping rates from Rotterdam (Netherlands) to Mombasa (Kenya) are slightly above average. The total costs are determined by important aspects like cargo volume and weight, shipping route and supply and demand. Fill in the request form for a clear quote and estimated shipping time.
When shipping goods to Mombasa, there are documents you need for customs clearance. The following documents need to be in place for effective and easy customs clearance. Commercial Invoice, Certificate of Origin, Letter of Credit, Import/export Licenses, Insurance Certificate, Packing List. For questions or additional information, you can contact the customs of Kenya or visit the website of the port / gouvernment (www.kpa.co.ke).
The Incoterms tell us: Who is organising carriage and insurance? The most popular Incoterms for sea transport are FOB and CIF. CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) means the exporting party arranges delivery of the goods to a ship, loading the goods onto the ship, and insuring the shipment until it reaches the port of origin. Content of a Free on Board (FOB) contract: the seller takes care of the goods until they have been placed on board of the ship. There are additionally more Incoterms 2000 like Ex Works (EXW), Free Carrier (FCA), Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), Carriage Paid To (CPT) + Delivered at Place Unloaded (DPU), Cost and Freight (CFR), Carriage and Insurance Paid To (CIP).