Cargo dwell time at Mombasa and Dar es Salaam
- Mombasa container dwell time, 2025
- 106.7 hours, 48-hour target 2
- Mombasa import container dwell time, January to June 2026
- 105 hours 1
- Mombasa import container dwell time, 2024
- 97.8 hours 3
- Dar es Salaam transit container dwell, Terminal 2, 2023
- 6.4 days, 5-day target 4
- Dar es Salaam local container dwell, Terminal 2, 2023
- 4.3 days 4
- Tanzania customs release time, 2023
- 55.4 hours 4
How dwell time is measured
The Northern Corridor Transport Observatory defines containerised import dwell time at Mombasa as the average time from when a container is offloaded from a vessel until it leaves the port gates. Consignments held for over 21 days for compliance or legal reasons are left out 1.
The Central Corridor Transport Observatory defines dwell time at Dar es Salaam as the total time containerised cargo spends at the port, from discharge to port exit, averaged monthly in days 4. Mombasa figures are published in hours and Dar es Salaam figures in days 1,4.
Mombasa figures
Import container dwell time at Mombasa was 85.8 hours in 2023 and 97.8 hours in 2024 3. The observatory report for 2024 lists the extension of free storage for transit cargo from 9 to 15 days as one cause of the rise 3. The average reached 106.7 hours in 2025, against a 48-hour target, with customs release taking 57 hours and the time after release 79 hours 2.
From January to June 2026 import dwell time was 105 hours, against 104 hours a year earlier 1. Kenya Revenue Authority customs release time averaged 27 hours from January to May 2026 and rose to 120 hours in June. After release time ran between 70 and 93 hours from January to May and fell to 34 hours in June 1. The report lists the cargo free storage period as one factor in after release time 1.
Dar es Salaam figures
The Central Corridor observatory report for 2023 gives these yearly averages. The Government of Tanzania target is 5 days 4. The report's text gives the 2022 Terminal 2 transit figure as 11 days, against 10.7 days in its summary table 4.
Why dwell time matters for cost
- At Dar es Salaam, a 20-foot transit import gets 15 free days, then pays US$20 a day for days 16 to 21 and US$40 a day after that. Larger containers pay double 5.
- A domestic 20-foot import at Dar es Salaam gets 5 free days, then pays US$20 a day for days 6 to 15 and US$40 a day after that 5.
- At Mombasa, an imported container left beyond the free storage period pays KSh 9,000 to KSh 15,000 a day under the 2025 tariff, as reported by Reginald Mosagwe for Kenyans.co.ke 6.
- In October 2025 the Mombasa port manager waived 80% of accrued storage fees on long-stay containers, as reported by Anthony Kitimo in Business Daily 7.
- The Northern Corridor observatory estimates that a 10% cut in transit time could lower trade costs by 4.21% 2.
Common questions
What is cargo dwell time?
The time a container spends in port from discharge until it leaves the port gate 1,4.
What is the dwell time at Mombasa port?
106.7 hours on average in 2025, against a 48-hour target 2, and 105 hours for import containers from January to June 2026 1.
What is the dwell time at Dar es Salaam port?
In 2023, 7.4 days for local and 8.5 days for transit containers at Terminal 1, and 4.3 and 6.4 days at Terminal 2 4.
What is the official dwell time target?
48 hours at Mombasa 2 and 5 days set by the Government of Tanzania for Dar es Salaam 4.
Does dwell time affect port charges?
Yes. Containers that stay past the free period pay daily storage, such as US$20 to US$40 a day for a 20-foot container at Dar es Salaam 5.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.
Sources
- Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority: Northern Corridor Transport Observatory biannual report, January to June 2026 (2026)
- NCTTCA and TradeMark Africa: Northern Corridor Transport Observatory Report 2025, 21st edition (2026)
- NCTTCA and TradeMark Africa: Northern Corridor Transport Observatory Report, 20th edition, covering 2024 (2025)
- Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency: Central Corridor Transport Observatory annual performance monitoring report 2023 (May 2024)
- Tanzania Ports Authority: Tariff Book, Sea Ports (January 2026)
- Kenyans.co.ke: KPA effects new cargo handling fees, by Reginald Mosagwe (22 December 2025)
- Business Daily: KPA offers amnesty on storage charges as import season enters peak, by Anthony Kitimo (16 October 2025)
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