Sea Freight from China to Gabu
China → Gabu · via OXB air / Bissau sea · clearance by Alfândegas da Guiné-Bissau
Freight from China into Gabu clears through OXB air / Bissau sea. Gabu is eastern trading town, and allow +2 days for the inland leg on top of clearance.
Clearance itself is handled by Alfândegas da Guiné-Bissau, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 8–18 days.
Import duty and tax position for Gabu
Imports into Guinea-Bissau are cleared by Alfândegas da Guiné-Bissau. The headline position is: VAT 15%; WAEMU common external tariff 0–35%, plus community levies. The de-minimis threshold is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: Pre-shipment inspection for most commercial goods. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Guinea-Bissau: Port draft and equipment limitations force transshipment. Feeder frequency is low — build slack into any schedule. Pre-shipment inspection applies to most cargo.
Routing and transit on this lane
Bissau is a shallow-draft port with limited handling capacity, so cargo transships at Dakar, Abidjan or Las Palmas and arrives on small feeders. For anything time-sensitive, clearing at Dakar and trucking down is a routing worth pricing alongside the direct option.
| Sea gateways used | Bissau |
|---|---|
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 30–42 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Gabu | OXB air / Bissau sea |
| Inland leg to Gabu | +2 days from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 8–18 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Oct–Dec |
Before you book: Gabu checklist
- Confirm the consignee in Gabu can act as importer of record — Alfândegas da Guiné-Bissau will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Oct–Dec, when space on this lane tightens.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Pre-shipment inspection for most commercial goods.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Guinea-Bissau duty rate against it yourself.
- Put the Gabu delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Gabu take?
China to the Guinea-Bissau gateway is 30–42 calendar days. On top of that, allow 8–18 days of clearance with Alfândegas da Guiné-Bissau and a +2 days inland leg to Gabu.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Gabu?
Alfândegas da Guiné-Bissau applies: VAT 15%; WAEMU common external tariff 0–35%, plus community levies. 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 Gabu.
What certification do I need for Guinea-Bissau?
For regulated goods, plan for: Pre-shipment inspection for most commercial goods. 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.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Gabu?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Which port or airport does cargo for Gabu clear through?
Cargo for Gabu is routed via OXB air / Bissau sea. Sea gateways for Guinea-Bissau are Bissau; air gateways are OXB (Bissau Osvaldo Vieira). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Gabu?
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 Bissau. Surcharges apply and space is more limited than for general cargo.
Other delivery cities in Guinea-Bissau
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Guinea-Bissau 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 Alfândegas da Guiné-Bissau 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: 10 月 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.
- Prefabricated Building Building Materials & Construction Products
- Pallet Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Conveyor Belts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Hotel Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Restaurant Furniture Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Metal Fabrication Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Pressure Vessels Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Switchgear New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Doors & Windows Building Materials & Construction Products
- Corrugated Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Glass Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
Checking the Guinea-Bissau duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Alfândegas da Guiné-Bissau 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.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Gabu. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Marine Insurance Explained - Understand the Cargo Insurance You're Getting — ABTS®. 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.
Customs clearance in Guinea-Bissau
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Guinea-Bissau clearance requirements →