Current Freight Rates
Price data updating. Contact us for current rates.
Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP and seven more — see which costs sit with us and which sit with you
The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to Burundi is already inside the price. The table below maps the eleven common Incoterms® against the twelve cost stages of a door-to-door shipment, so you can see exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins.
- Seller — Cost and arrangement sit with the seller / shipper.
- Buyer — Cost and arrangement sit with the buyer / consignee.
- Negotiable — Not fixed by the rule — agree it in the contract.
| Term | 1 Loading on truck | 2 Export customs declaration | 3 Carriage to port of export | 4 Unloading at port of export | 5 Loading on vessel / aircraft | 6 Main carriage | 7 Cargo insurance | 8 Unloading at port of import | 9 Loading on truck at import | 10 Carriage to destination | 11 Import customs clearance | 12 Import duties & taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW Ex Works | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck | Buyer Buyer — Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FCA Free Carrier | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FAS Free Alongside Ship | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FOB Free On Board | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CFR Cost and Freight | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Seller Seller — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CPT Carriage Paid To | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Seller Seller — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU) | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DAP Delivered At Place | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DDP Delivered Duty Paid | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Seller Seller — Import customs clearance | Seller Seller — Import duties & taxes |
EXW Ex Works
Buyer takes over at the seller's door and carries every cost from there. Lowest quoted price, highest buyer workload.
FCA Free Carrier
Seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier the buyer nominated.
FAS Free Alongside Ship
Sea and inland waterway only. Seller delivers alongside the vessel; loading is on the buyer.
FOB Free On Board
Sea and inland waterway only. Risk passes once the goods are on board. The most common buying term.
CFR Cost and Freight
Seller pays the main carriage but carries no insurance obligation; risk still passes on loading.
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight
As CFR, plus the seller must buy and pay for cargo insurance (minimum cover unless you agree more).
CPT Carriage Paid To
Any mode. Seller pays carriage through to the named destination; insurance is not obligatory.
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid
As CPT, plus the seller must insure the cargo through to the named destination.
DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)
Seller delivers unloaded at the named terminal. Renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) in Incoterms® 2020.
DAP Delivered At Place
Seller delivers to your address ready for unloading; import clearance and duty stay with the buyer.
DDP Delivered Duty Paid
Seller carries everything through to your door, duty and tax included. Highest quoted price, least buyer workload.
Two things worth flagging. Under CIF and CIP the seller is obliged to buy cargo insurance and pay the premium; under every other term insurance is optional, and we recommend buyers arrange their own cover so a loss or damage in transit is recoverable. And this table is a working summary for planning purposes — the binding definitions are the ones published by the International Chamber of Commerce in the Incoterms® rules, so confirm the exact term wording in your sales contract before you ship.
Service Details
What to expect on the China–Burundi Sea Freight lane
This is our sea freight service from China to Burundi. Departure is from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Yiwu or Shanghai; entry is through Landlocked — via Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) or Mombasa (Kenya), with clearance handled by Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR).
Burundi sits at the end of the longest inland corridor in East Africa — roughly 1,400 km from Dar es Salaam. The road leg is the dominant cost and time factor, frequently exceeding the ocean freight itself, and the Central Corridor's condition varies by season. Quote the inland leg explicitly rather than folding it into a single figure.
Route facts
| Destination country | Burundi |
|---|---|
| Region | Africa |
| Mode | Sea Freight |
| Gateways used | Landlocked — via Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) or Mombasa (Kenya) |
| Transit, China to gateway | 40–55 calendar days including the inland corridor |
| Clearance / dwell | 10–20 days |
| Peak season | Sep–Dec |
Delivery cities on this lane
Each city below has its own guide covering the gateway that serves it, the inland leg after clearance and the local delivery requirements.
- China to Bujumbura — the commercial capital and lake port. Via BJM air / Dar es Salaam transit; inland leg +2 days. Sea Freight guide →
- China to Gitega — the political capital in the interior. Via BJM air / Dar es Salaam transit; inland leg +3 days. Sea Freight guide →
- China to Ngozi — northern agricultural centre. Via BJM air / Mombasa transit; inland leg +3 days. Sea Freight guide →
- China to Rumonge — southern lakeside town. Via BJM air / Dar es Salaam transit; inland leg +3 days. Sea Freight guide →
The per-kilogram rate above applies to chargeable weight, not to what the scale says. At 166.7 kg per cubic metre, a carton of light goods can be billed at several times its actual weight, so send dimensions with the weight when you ask for a quote into Burundi — a rate quoted without them is only ever provisional.
In practice the cargo we move on this lane clusters into a few recognisable shapes — electrical cabinets (HS 85 / 8541), where clearance turns on cE and IEC conformity, and a check that voltage and grid code match the destination, pallet (HS 44 / 48) and construction hardware (HS 68 / 69 / 70 / 44). Each behaves differently against the rate: one fills the payload before it fills the space, the next does the reverse, and the packing brief we send back with the quote is written to the one you are actually shipping.
If your delivery address is inland rather than at the port, the destination guides are the useful read: Ngozi, Rumonge, Bujumbura and Gitega each document their clearing gateway, typical inland transit and local customs behavior, none of which is visible in a rate table. See all Burundi destinations we cover.
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Additional Information
Clearance requirements into Burundi
VAT 18%; EAC common external tariff 0–35%. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity: Pre-export verification of conformity for regulated goods; EAC certificate of origin where applicable.
Known friction points: Inland corridor transit through Tanzania requires bonded documentation and is the main schedule risk. Foreign-currency availability constrains duty settlement. PVoC conformity applies to regulated goods.
Documents we file under DDP
- Commercial invoice showing HS codes and the true transaction value
- Packing list with carton count, gross and net weight, and dimensions
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin where it reduces the duty rate
- Product certification or conformity documents where the commodity requires them
Packing notes
- Chargeable weight is the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 1000 for LCL chargeable volume)
- Use ISPM-15 treated wood for any pallet or crate — untreated timber is a common hold
- Mark every carton with the consignee name, city and carton number of total
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders before booking, not after
Other modes into Burundi
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity rules change by ministerial decision. The figures here are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your HS code with Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR) or your broker before shipping.
Where these numbers come from
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR) 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.
Classification drives everything downstream: the same carton can attract very different duty depending on the heading it lands in, and the structure those headings come from is the World Customs Organization Harmonized System. If your product sits near a boundary between two headings, resolve it before shipping rather than at the border.
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.
China to Burundi — Shipping Reference Data
| Main sea gateways | Landlocked — via Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) or Mombasa (Kenya) |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo |
| Import tax & duty regime | VAT 18%; EAC common external tariff 0–35% |
| Local currency | BIF |
| Typical clearance / dwell time | 10–20 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Dec |
| Conformity & certification | Pre-export verification of conformity for regulated goods; EAC certificate of origin where applicable |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
Free 3D Loading Tools for This Sea Route
This page covers a Sea freight service from China to Burundi. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.
3D Container Loading Planner
Maximize every CBM on this route: load your carton list into the 3D container planner, check space and payload utilization, and download the loading plan for your forwarder.
Open Container Planner →Burundi Sea Freight Checklist
- Ask whether the quote includes destination port charges in Burundi or only ocean freight.
- Confirm whether your Burundi rate is per CBM or per container before comparing quotes.
- Declare accurate gross weight — VGM misdeclaration delays vessels and triggers fines.
- Verify the receiver's customs import capability in Burundi for DDP terms before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Sea DDP Door-to-Door from China to Burundi take?
Sea freight on this route runs about 25–45 calendar days door-to-door, plus roughly 10–20 days of clearance/dwell once it reaches the gateway. All times include customs clearance under DDP terms.
What duties and taxes apply when importing into Burundi?
Clearance is handled by Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR). The regime is: VAT 18%; EAC common external tariff 0–35%, with a de-minimis position of No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.
In what currency is this route priced and paid?
Freight is quoted and invoiced in USD; the destination-side currency is BIF. Payment is typically due before departure, and DDP means you settle the full landed cost once.
Can you ship special cargo (batteries, branded goods) to Burundi?
Yes — battery goods by sea follow UN3480/UN3481 rules with an MSDS; we prepare the dangerous-goods paperwork as part of DDP into Landlocked — via Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) or Mombasa (Kenya). Surcharges apply.
What does DDP shipping to Burundi include on this route?
DDP means we quote the freight, the customs entry with Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR) and last-mile delivery in Burundi together, so you settle once. The duty and tax portion depends on your product's HS code, declared value and the exchange rate at entry, so it is confirmed against your actual goods — the figures on this page are indicative and can move either way.
How is the shipping cost on this route calculated?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000, so one cubic metre counts as about 166.7 kg) and charge whichever is greater, rounded up to the next kilogram, then apply the per-KG rate shown in the table above. A 300 kg consignment measuring out to only 200 kg volumetric is still charged on the 300 kg.
Inland Delivery Coverage — Burundi
We deliver beyond the arrival gateway. Each city below has its own destination guide covering the gateway it clears through, typical inland transit time and the local customs picture.
Note — these are reference guides, not quotes. The city pages describe routing, gateways and clearance for each destination. They do not carry rate tables. For pricing to any city listed here, use the rate table on this page or ask us for a quote.
- Bujumbura BJM air / Dar es Salaam transit inland +2 days Guide only — no rates
- Gitega BJM air / Dar es Salaam transit inland +3 days Guide only — no rates
- Ngozi BJM air / Mombasa transit inland +3 days Guide only — no rates
- Rumonge BJM air / Dar es Salaam transit inland +3 days Guide only — no rates
Shipping Burundi cargo by industry
This rate is for the lane. What decides whether the cargo arrives intact is the commodity — how it prices, how it must be packed and loaded, and which compliance step holds it at the border. These guides cover that per industry.
- Solar Inverter New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Energy Storage System New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Building Materials Building Materials & Construction Products
- Construction Hardware Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plastic Products Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Ceramic Tableware Glass & Ceramic Products
- 5G Equipment Telecom, Computing & Data Centre
- Headphones Consumer Electronics & Smart Devices
- Home Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Garden Products Furniture & Home Products
- Footwear Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Medical Furniture Medical, Laboratory & Precision Instruments