Shipping from China to Cote d ‘Ivoire Cost and Time

Cote d’Ivoire, also known as Ivory Coast, officially the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. China has become Côte d’Ivoire’s largest bilateral financing partner and third largest trading partner. Cooperation projects in infrastructure and public welfare between the two countries have achieved good economic and social benefits.

If you are an importer from Côte d’Ivoire, read on and discover a comprehensive guide to shipping from China to Côte d’Ivoire from leading freight forwarders. The following content includes transportation methods, transportation time, transportation costs, etc.

There are many freight forwarders offering container and air freight services from China to Cote d’Ivoire, but we can do more. It’s crucial to work with someone who understands your needs and always provides the best customized shipping solutions from China to Cote d’Ivoire.

Shipping from China to Cote d ‘Ivoire

There are two main ways to ship from China to Cote d’Ivoire: sea and air. The characteristics are as follows:

Sea freight from China to Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Ocean freight takes time, but most businesses use this method because of its price. Sea shipping costs are much lower than air shipping. If you are shipping large quantities of goods from China, sea shipping is your best method. Another reason is that you have two options – LCL and FCL.

LCL Shipping to Cote d’Ivoire

LCL means less than container load. Therefore, you only pay for the amount of space you use. Therefore, most individuals and small business owners prefer this shipping method.
The method of LCL shipping is very simple. All you have to do is contact the freight forwarder. If you don’t know how much space you need, just tell them your shipment and they will tell you how much space you need.
The freight forwarder will book space on the container and ship your goods to Cote d’Ivoire.
Basenton Logistics offers the most competitive prices for LCL shipping from China to Cote d’Ivoire. We have special expertise in LCL shipping and can deliver your goods before the deadline. If you have something to ship, ask for a quote and see the difference with other freight forwarders.

Full container shipping to Cote d’Ivoire

Full container shipping is the most affordable shipping option, but only if you’re shipping a large amount. Because in FCL shipping, you cannot share your container with any other shipper.
You can book a 20 or 40 foot container depending on your needs. The biggest advantage of FCL shipping is that it is slightly faster than LCL shipping and you get more security. If you are transporting large products such as machinery and trucks, FCL is the best choice.
Basenton Logistics offers the most competitive prices for FCL shipping from China to Cote d’Ivoire.

Côte d’Ivoire main ports

Abidjan
Abidjan, the main port, de facto capital and largest city of Côte d’Ivoire (Côte d’Ivoire). It is located along the Ebrière Lagoon, separated from the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean by the Vridi Plage sandbar.
The Port of Abidjan is the main regional transshipment center for Treachville, south of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The Port of Abidjan is the main gateway for containers to Côte d’Ivoire. Good road connections also make it a major transit point for landlocked countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

San Pedro
The Port of San Pedro is one of the most important economic infrastructures in Côte d’Ivoire since its independence. It was built to reduce regional disparities by creating a center of development for the southwest region of Côte d’Ivoire, while also serving as a hub for neighboring landlocked countries (Mali, Guinea’s forest areas, and eastern Liberia).
In Côte d’Ivoire, the port of San Pedro is second only to the port of Abidjan in terms of tonnage. This makes it one of the most important ports on the West African coast.

Air freight from China to Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Air freight is a very convenient way of transportation. There are various reasons why you should choose the air route from China to Côte d’Ivoire. They are faster than any other mode of transportation.

Air freight from China to Cote d’Ivoire is reliable. They won’t be late and transport your goods safely. The next important reason why you should use air freight is to reduce packaging costs. Generally, heavy packaging is required when shipping by sea, but not by air. In addition, air freight does not require renting a warehouse in China. In addition, air freight insurance costs are lower than ocean freight. Hence, you get fast delivery and don’t need to spend much money on packaging, insurance and warehouse facilities.

There are some disadvantages to air shipping from China to Côte d’Ivoire. Due to certain restrictions, you cannot ship all products using air freight. For example, if you are shipping lithium batteries, they need to pass certain tests. If the battery can pass aviation regulations, you can transport the battery. Another disadvantage is that air freight is not cost-effective if you are shipping a large amount of product.

Basenton Logistics has agreements with most of the major airlines that provide services between these two countries. We ensure you can transport your goods within your schedule.

Main cargo airports in Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Abidjan
Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport (IATA: ABJ), also known as Port Bouët Airport, is located 16 km  south east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. 
It is the largest airport in the country for air traffic. The airport is the main hub of the national airline Air Côte d’Ivoire.

Yamoussoukro
Yamoussoukro International Airport(IATA: ASK) is a regional airport serving Yamoussoukro in Côte d’Ivoire.

How much does it cost to ship from China to Cote d’Ivoire in 2025?

The final cost of shipping from China to Cote d’Ivoire depends on several factors. Before preparing a quote, your freight forwarder may ask for the following details:

• Nature of your shipment
• Your preferred shipping method (FCL, LCL, air freight)
• The weight and dimensions of your shipment
• Origin and destination
• Service type (e.g. port-to-port, door-to-door)

For goods weighing less than 100 kilograms, the cost difference between air freight and LCL sea freight is not large. Above 100 kilograms, the cost difference begins to widen. Although much slower, sea freight can quickly become much more economical than air freight when there is greater weight and size involved.

Cost Of Shipping 20ft & 40ft Container From China To Cote d’Ivoire

• The average price to ship a container from China to Cote d’Ivoire is from $2850 to $4850 US Dollars.
• The shipping price to ship a full container from China to Cote d’Ivoire ranges depending on the size of the container (20ft or 40ft), and the schedule route, please contact Basenton quotation team to receive a detailed rate to ship your container from China to the major container ports in Cote d’Ivoire.

How much does it cost to ship a 20ft container from China to Cote d’Ivoire, the average price to ship a 20ft container from China to Cote d’Ivoire is from $2850 to $4250. The shipping timeline to ship a 20 foot container from China to Cote d’Ivoire ranges depending on the route.

How much does it cost to ship a 40ft container from China to Cote d’Ivoire, the average price to ship a 40ft container from China to Cote d’Ivoire is from $3250 to $5550. The shipping timeline to ship a 40 foot container from China to Cote d’Ivoire ranges depending on the route.

Cost of shipping containers from China to Cote d ‘Ivoire

These are the average prices to ship a container from China Cote d’Ivoire with the cheapest rates for loading and shipping containers from the major ports in China to Cote d’Ivoire for 20ft and 40ft containers (FCL) with all types of cargo such as: commercial cargo, vehicles, or personal effects for international shipments from China to Cote d’Ivoire.

Air Freight Cost From China To Cote d’Ivoire

If you are shipping to Cote d’Ivoire from China for the first time, you must understand the weight calculation process. This is the first step in determining the cost of air freight from China to Cote d’Ivoire.

There are two types of weight – volumetric weight and gross weight. Gross weight is the actual weight of your shipment. But air cargo companies also consider volume. They do this by using a simple mathematical formula.

The formula is simple – 1:167. Let’s clarify it with an example. Let’s say your cargo weighs 100 kg and has a volume of 1 cubic meter. In this case the volumetric weight will be 100*167 = 167 kg. Since dimensional weight is higher, you will pay based on dimensional weight.

The second determining factor is the distance between the two ports. The further the distance, the more you have to pay. The type and quantity of your goods are also determining factors in determining the price.

Therefore, it is difficult to say how much air freight will cost from China to Cote d’Ivoire. But we can give you a general idea. USD 7 to USD 15 is the standard price for air shipping between these two countries.

How to reduce shipping costs from China to Cote d’Ivoire?

This is a very important question, especially when you are importing commercially. Lowering prices will increase your profit margins by:

Have your items packed by professionals and keep the package size compact. Packaging can significantly reduce costs. So please don’t take it lightly.
Choose two ports with shorter distances to reduce shipping costs.
Purchase insurance from a third party.
Look for a freight forwarder that offers some extra benefits.
Ask multiple freight forwarders for quotes and choose the best freight forwarder with the lowest price.
If the price is too low, find out if there are any hidden fees.
Insist on choosing a Chinese freight forwarder and establish a long-term relationship. Freight forwarders often offer special prices to their regular customers.

Shipping from China to Cote d’Ivoire takes 35-55 days, and air shipping takes 3-7 days.
The number of days may vary if we choose different ports, airports, services and routes.

Shipping time from China to Cote d’Ivoire

The port-to-port transit time for shipping a container from China to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire is 35 to 55 days.

Container shipping transit time by sea from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

For reference only: Ocean shipping, port-to-port transportation time, depends on the specific selection of origin and destination ports, service routes, shipping schedules and carriers selected.
Data from Shanghai and Ningbo in East China, Shenzhen in South China, and Qingdao in North China are enough to prove the shipping time from China to Cote d’Ivoire.
The above shipping times are for FCL shipping, port to port only, for LCL shipping time estimates please add 7-10 days.

Air Freight Time from China to Cote d’Ivoire

Generally speaking, cargo shipped by air from China takes 3-7 days to arrive in Cote d’Ivoire.
Due to the long distance, there are no direct international flights between Chinese cities and Côte d’Ivoire cities. If you need speed, please contact us to get the shortest route and fastest air freight for your goods from China to Cote d’Ivoire.

Door to Door Shipping from China to Cote d’Ivoire

Door to door shipping refers to the whole process service from the place of shipment in China (such as factory or warehouse) to the designated address of the buyer in Cote d’Ivoire. In this mode, customers do not need to worry about the cumbersome processes such as customs clearance, transshipment, warehousing, etc., and all links are fully responsible by the freight forwarding company.

Door to door service from China to Cote d’Ivoire can be achieved by sea freight, full container shipping, or air transportation. The main port in Cote d’Ivoire is the Port of Abidjan. Most of the Chinese export goods will be shipped to Abidjan first, and then delivered through the local logistics distribution network. For urgent goods, you can also choose to quickly clear customs through the air transport channel in Abidjan.

Door to door service is very suitable for small merchants with little local import experience, e-commerce sellers, or customers who have time requirements. The logistics company will provide one-on-one customs declaration guidance, tax budget and document processing services to ensure the safety of the entire transportation process.

In addition, due to the stable trade relations between China and Switzerland, there are mature logistics routes and collection channels from Guangzhou, Yiwu, Ningbo, Shenzhen and other places, making the price of door-to-door transportation more competitive.

DDP Shipping from China to Cote d’Ivoire

When customers choose DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shipping, most of them will choose door-to-door shipping. Under this DDP shipping terms, the seller (or freight forwarder) is responsible for paying all costs, including international freight, import duties and customs clearance services in Cote d’Ivoire, and finally delivering the goods safely to the buyer. The buyer does not have to bear any intermediate operations and costs.

For many buyers in Central Africa, lack of local customs clearance experience and operation resources, using DDP services can greatly reduce procurement risks. Especially when purchasing Chinese products such as machinery and equipment, building materials, textiles, plastic products, etc., DDP allows customers to focus more on sales and distribution.

Implementing DDP transportation requires logistics companies to have a complete local customs clearance agency network. Usually, Chinese logistics companies will cooperate with qualified customs clearance agencies in Abidjan, or achieve smooth customs clearance through third-party re-export platforms such as Ghana, Benin and other countries.

Customs clearance of goods from China to Cote d’Ivoire

Customs stamps and export clearance stamps in red ink are added to the customs invoice documents. Basenton Logistics will assist you with customs clearance.

Customs clearance can be one of the most complex aspects of shipping from China to Côte d’Ivoire by sea and air. Keeping your head above water and managing can be a difficult task, and mistakes can be costly.

You need to ensure that the following documents are filled out accurately and submitted correctly to China Customs for export clearance. The Ivorian customs department will also require them to go through the import clearance process:

• commercial invoice
• packing list
• Certificate of Origin
• Letter of credit or other payment terms (depending on the contract between the parties involved)
• Sea waybill or air waybill (Bassendon Logistics will provide this to you)
• In addition to the bill of lading, the above documents must be obtained and provided by the shipper (exporter) and importer of the goods.

Shipping agent from China to Cote d’Ivoire

If you want to transport goods to Cote d’Ivoire smoothly, efficiently and safely, it is crucial to choose an experienced and well-serviced Chinese freight forwarding company. Professional freight forwarding companies can not only provide you with competitive transportation prices, but also assist in solving a series of detailed issues such as customs clearance, inspection, packaging, warehousing, etc.

Basenton Logistics is an international logistics company specializing in transportation services from China to Africa. We have many years of practical experience on the China-Africa route. Whether it is full container FCL, LCL, air express, or DDP door-to-door service, Basenton can tailor the most suitable solution for you.

Our advantageous services include:

• Pick up goods from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Yiwu, Shanghai and other places, and arrange international transportation;
• Sea transportation to Abidjan Port, air transportation directly to Cote d’Ivoire;
• Provide one-stop DDP service for customs clearance, taxation, and delivery;
• Support cross-border e-commerce small packages and LCL goods for centralized shipment;
• Multilingual customer service support (including communication tools translated into French) to facilitate docking with local customers.

Basenton serves small and medium-sized enterprises, wholesalers, brands and e-commerce platforms from both China and Africa based on the principles of “safety, efficiency and transparency”. If you are looking for a stable and reliable logistics partner, we will be a trustworthy choice.

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