Kenyan importers bringing in goods from China will pay more to ship them from next month after Danish shipping giant Maersk announced a revised peak season surcharge on cargo from China and Hong Kong to Kenya and Tanzania.

In a customer notice issued on Monday, October 26, the shipping line said the new charges take effect on November 9, 2026 and will apply "until further notice", according to reports by Kenyans.co.ke and the trade publication Container News.

What importers will pay

Under the revised schedule, cargo headed for Kenya will attract the following surcharges on top of the normal freight rate:

  • $1,000 (about Sh129,400) for every 20-foot container
  • $2,000 (about Sh258,800) for every 40-foot or 45-foot container

Shipments to Dar es Salaam will pay $1,200 for a 20-foot box and $2,000 for the larger containers.

Maersk said the surcharge will generally be collected at the port of origin unless the importer and its agents agree different payment terms. It is also separate from local handling fees and contingency charges, meaning the total bill per container could climb even higher.

For contract customers, the applicable rate will be pegged on the scheduled departure date of the first sea leg as shown when the booking is confirmed. Spot bookings will be priced on either the booking confirmation date or the vessel's scheduled departure.

Bad timing for traders

The increase lands as wholesalers and retailers place orders for the Christmas and January back-to-school season, when imports of electronics, clothing, household goods and stationery from China typically peak. Shipping costs are usually passed on to consumers through shelf prices.

Maersk had introduced a similar surcharge at the same Kenyan rates in June this year, and trade reports show the line has adjusted the charge several times in 2026 as demand on Asia-Africa routes has shifted.

China's grip on Kenya's import bill

The change matters because China is by far Kenya's largest source of imports. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data cited by Kenyans.co.ke shows imports from China rose 16.5 per cent to Sh671.2 billion in 2025, while Kenya's exports to China fell to just Sh16.9 billion, leaving a trade deficit of about Sh654.3 billion.

In August 2026 alone, China supplied goods worth Sh83.3 billion, or 29.2 per cent of everything Kenya imported that month.

Clearing agents say small traders who rely on shared containers are likely to feel the pinch most, since freight is a bigger share of their costs. The surcharge also comes as the Kenya Revenue Authority tightens declaration rules for consolidated cargo and prepares to make marine cargo insurance mandatory for all imports from November 1.

Photos: MEAACT Kenya via Wikimedia Commons (public domain); Kenya Ports Authority via Kenyans.co.ke. Logo: A.P. Moller-Maersk. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.