Importers Face Excessive Demurrage From Empty Container Return Delays

The Association of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (APFFLON) has raised concerns about importers facing disproportionate demurrage charges stemming from delays in the return of empty shipping containers. This issue reflects broader inefficiencies in port logistics and container management systems, where slow processing and procedural bottlenecks prevent timely empty container repositioning. The excessive charges represent a hidden tax on import operations, directly increasing landed costs for goods and reducing competitiveness for Nigerian businesses importing essential materials and consumer goods.

Demurrage accumulation on empty containers is particularly problematic because it represents unproductive cost—no value is being transported, yet importers bear financial penalties for delays outside their direct control. The root cause appears to be inadequate port infrastructure, slow documentation processing, or congestion that extends dwell times for empties. This systemic inefficiency cascades through the supply chain, as importers must either absorb the charges or pass them to downstream customers, ultimately making Nigerian imports less price-competitive in regional and global markets.

For supply chain professionals, this signals both an operational risk and a cost management opportunity. Organizations importing into Nigeria must account for extended demurrage exposure in their landed cost models and consider strategic interventions such as negotiating demurrage waivers with shipping lines, consolidating shipments to reduce empty container frequency, or advocating for port efficiency improvements through industry bodies. This issue underscores the importance of container asset visibility and the economic case for investing in better port infrastructure and logistics technology.