Sea Freight from China to Accra
China → Accra · via ACC air / Tema sea · clearance by Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division
For buyers shipping into Accra, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Accra is the capital and the largest consumer market; cargo enters through ACC air / Tema sea, and allow same day from Tema for the inland leg on top of clearance.
On the destination side, Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division handles clearance; budget 4-10 days of dwell before the cargo is released.
What you will pay on arrival in Ghana
Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Accra consignees. Current regime: VAT 15% plus levies; customs duty 0-20% under the ECOWAS CET, with a de-minimis position of No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: Ghana Standards Authority conformity applies to regulated goods; most commercial imports need a customs classification and valuation report. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Ghana: Valuation disputes on consumer goods are the usual cause of delay, and the paperwork is checked against the declared HS code rather than the invoice alone. Port charges at Tema rise sharply once free time expires.
Routing and transit on this lane
Tema, about 30 km east of Accra, is the container port and handles the great majority of Ghana's boxed imports; Takoradi in the west is the bulk, mining and oil-service port and takes some containers for the western region. Air cargo moves through Kotoka in Accra. Tema is well served from South China, so for most shipments the ocean leg is predictable and clearance is the variable.
| Sea gateways used | Tema, Takoradi |
|---|---|
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 28-40 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Accra | ACC air / Tema sea |
| Inland leg to Accra | same day from Tema from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 4-10 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep-Dec |
Pre-shipment checklist for Accra
- Confirm the consignee in Accra can act as importer of record — Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Ghana duty rate against it yourself.
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the Ghana lane.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Ghana Standards Authority conformity applies to regulated goods; most commercial imports need a customs classification and valuation report.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Accra take?
China to the Ghana gateway is 28-40 calendar days. On top of that, allow 4-10 days of clearance with Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division and a same day from Tema inland leg to Accra.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Accra?
Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division applies: VAT 15% plus levies; customs duty 0-20% under the ECOWAS CET. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Accra.
Which port or airport does cargo for Accra clear through?
Cargo for Accra is routed via ACC air / Tema sea. Sea gateways for Ghana are Tema, Takoradi; air gateways are ACC (Kotoka, Accra). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
What certification do I need for Ghana?
For regulated goods, plan for: Ghana Standards Authority conformity applies to regulated goods; most commercial imports need a customs classification and valuation report. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Accra?
Yes. Battery cargo by sea moves under UN3480/UN3481 with an MSDS, and the dangerous-goods documentation is prepared as part of the booking into Tema, Takoradi. Surcharges apply and space is more limited than for general cargo.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Accra?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 28-40 calendar days by sea versus 5-8 business days by air to the Ghana gateway, before clearance and the same day from Tema inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.
Other delivery cities in Ghana
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Ghana change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division or your broker before you ship.
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
Page data last reviewed: November 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Sheet Metal Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Storage Tanks Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Electric Motors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Agricultural Drones Agriculture & Livestock Equipment
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Automotive Lighting Automotive & Vehicles
- Flooring Building Materials & Construction Products
- Cartons Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Flexible Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Capacitors Electronic Components & Semiconductors
- Smart Home Products Consumer Electronics & Smart Devices
- Refrigeration Equipment Home Appliances, HVAC & Commercial
Price Trend — Accra
Live rate for the linked route page, shown here for a quick read before you click through.
Checking the Ghana duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
For a wider view of how importing into Ghana actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Ghana customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Accra. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
What Is CBM? Sea Freight Volume Explained (Calculate Shipping Cost Fast!) — DDPCHAIN. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.