CARGO CLEARING NIGERIA PORTS: REGULAR ISSUES

Sometimes, cargo clearing Nigeria ports could become a source of painful heartache. What really is the greatest problem with cargo clearing at Nigeria Ports? Or rather, what are the commonest sources of problems with cargo clearing at the Nigeria Ports? This article will show some sources of error with clearance of cargo from the ports in Nigeria. Additional article to follow will educate you on how to avoid the avoidable problems that hinder smooth cargo clearance.

Read Also:FORM M NIGERIA: HOW TO PROCESS AND OBTAIN IT

CARGO CLEARING NIGERIA PORTS: DOCUMENTATION

Improper documentation could present untold headache in cargo clearance chain. The commonest documentation issues are:

• Shipping cargo without form m. normally, by regulation, shipping should come after Form M is got and Form M number added to shipping documents. If cargo is shipped already before Form M, I am afraid this will pose some issues.
• Failure to declare all items with accurate description.
• Refusal of importers to comply with regulatory government Agencies. Some smart individuals try to cut corners by not obtaining the right permits and documents from concerned agencies, and may be cut down the line. So, do the right thing at the right time. Check what agencies take care in regulating the commodity first of all.
• Bill of lading with incomplete information. The bill of lading used in one country may not serve well in another country, using the same information. In Nigeria for instance, the bill of lading is expected to have the Form M number on it. Also, the bill of lading is to show the shipped-on-board date. Other information needed on the bill of lading are the container number and size, net weight or gross weight of items.

For more detail on documentation error and how to deal with it, read my article for: IMPORT DOCUMENTS: ERRORS WHEN SHIPPING TO NIGERIA

CARGO CLEARING NIGERIA PORTS: LOGISTICS

• Inability to position containers on time for physical examination for lack of required logistics.
• Failure to transfer shipment to bonded terminal on time. This is applicable for goods marked for delivery at bonded warehouse. Delays in moving container to inland terminal affects the costs payable as shipping company and terminal handling.
• Container not found. Sometime, container may not be located for examination could not be located. This has resulted in delays in examination, and consequently increasing demurrage charges.
• Breakdown of trucks in the course of inland container movement.
• System breakdown, leading to shipping lines not releasing container at a good time.

CARGO CLEARING NIGERIA PORTS: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Government agencies themselves can sometime be the cause of hindrances to efficient clearance. Issues posed by agencies are mainly the following:

• Undue interference by different government agencies delays removal of goods from the terminals. This happens when sometimes multiple agencies raise unwarranted issues on an already examined container. The resultant effect of these actions is cross-examinations that take time.
• Securing approval for moving outside terminal from Customs units.

Other sources of delay include inability of shipping companies to issue shipping company local charges on time. Furthermore, transportation of cleared container from port to destination warehouse could be a serious challenge. Issues range from use of wrong vehicles to vehicle documents, safety and roads.

Read Also: CUSTOMS CLEARANCE CHARGES: COST OF CARGO CLEARING

Conclusion:

This article has itemised most of the problems encountered during cargo clearing Nigeria Ports and delivery to destination. In my next article, I will talk more on mitigation strategy to these problems. However, suffice to say that the cargo clearance agent is a specialist who has mastery on how to deal with most of these issues as they arise. Vagmon Group is a logistics expert that is altered to suit your case. Give us a call or text on +2349075526276.

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