Containers are piling up in Mombasa as more ships queue to berth. A seasonal year‑end rush has met a sudden diversion of vessels from Tanzania, slowing yard movements and stretching storage. In this setting, major carrier Maersk has added an Operational Cost Import fee at Mombasa citing higher compliance costs.
The fee is listed at $18 (C$24) for a 20‑foot dry box, $33 (C$45) for a 40‑foot dry or 20‑foot reefer, and $43 (C$58) for a 40‑foot reefer.
“This surcharge is being implemented to offset the additional operational expenses associated with container inspections,” Maersk said. The statement added that the OCI fee will be invoiced with freight charges at the time of billing, according to the same report.
The bottleneck tightened after Dar es Salaam suspended operations during election unrest on October 30 and October 31. Market and agent advisories noted a curfew, connectivity outages, and a full halt to cargo handling, which pushed some flows to Kenya’s Northern Corridor. The disruption at Tanzania’s main gateway left vessels waiting and bookings re‑routed, raising pressure on cranes and yards in Mombasa.
Trade lanes that feed Zambia, Rwanda, and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo leaned more heavily on Mombasa during the stoppage. Shipping analysts expect some displacement to continue until schedules reset and backlogs clear at Dar.
Costs ripple across regional supply chains
Importers and exporters now face higher line‑item charges on cargo that touches Kenya’s coast. Shippers warn the new OCI fee lands on top of inspection, cleaning, and other agency levies that have multiplied in recent months.
“Our members have expressed deep concern regarding the potential implications of this cost on the competitiveness of Kenyan imports, the overall cost of doing business and the stability of supply chain operations,” said Agayo Ogambi, chief executive of the Shippers Council of Eastern Africa.
The lobby asked regulators to review the surcharge methodology and approvals to avoid cascading increases. Yard congestion has also deepened due to slow evacuation of empties and longer berth waits.
Operators are weighing throughput fixes to pull older containers out of prime space faster. During peaks, moving long‑stay boxes to off‑dock facilities and clearing domestic loads by rail can free quay space for incoming vessels.
That playbook reduces quay crane idle time, which is crucial when ship calls jump and weather windows shrink. Industry groups add that predictable inspection workflows and risk‑based scanning help limit stoppages inside the port. Carriers, agents, and regulators will watch December call sizes closely to decide whether temporary reliefs or waivers are needed to smooth the turn into January.
If Dar es Salaam recovers normal shifts through December, the diversion pressure on Mombasa should ease. The year‑end import wave will still test gate flows, truck staging, and rail slots until inventories taper after the holidays.
For now, surcharge notices signal that shipping lines are passing added costs to cargo owners while maintaining rotations. Many inland buyers across East Africa rely on Mombasa during shocks, so clearing backlogs quickly is vital for food, fuel, and retail supply.