Kenya car import: no digital marine policy, no clearance

Kenya's new rule will not raise your duty; it will stop the container. Without a digital marine policy the declaration cannot be lodged and the box sits at Mombasa. KRA wants cover from an IRA-licensed insurer, transmitted into iCMS before the entry is accepted. The premium is small money; the blocked unit is not.

The notice went out this week with the Insurance Regulatory Authority: only IRA-licensed policies count, the certificate must be generated digitally, and the data must reach iCMS before a declaration is filed. A paper certificate used to be enough. Now it is system to system, and a policy in the wrong format equals no policy.

A 40HQ carries three to four cars. Overdue storage, carrier detention and a standby agent run about $90-130 a day (an estimate), so seven days is $630-910, or $210-300 per car. On an $11,000 FOB car with $1,000-1,500 of dealer margin, a week takes a fifth.

The hit lands on timing, not price. Mombasa clearance ran three to five working days; with the certificate needing acceptance first, the opening weeks look like seven to ten. Whoever has the policy accepted early sells after the switch, when stock premium runs 3-5% above a normal month.

Get three things before sailing: the policy number, the insurer's IRA licence number and the iCMS acknowledgement. Have your agent confirm acceptance before departure, not on arrival, since the trial is billed daily. Fix in the contract who pays storage if the certificate fails, and contract an approved e-seal vendor early for Uganda transit. Send a loading plan; a landed-cost sheet follows.

What certifications are required to import used cars from China?
Requirements vary by destination (e.g. EAEU needs SBKTS/OTTC, GCC for the Middle East). EZ Auto handles compliant documents and certification per the destination customs, confirming clearance before shipment to avoid port hold-ups.

What recent policy changes affect Chinese vehicle exports?
EV subsidies are phasing out while export licensing and shipping capacity fluctuate. EZ Auto tracks destination tariffs and certification changes and updates them in the News section for procurement decisions.

Can an individual buy a car directly from China for export?
Possible, but with document and customs hurdles. Most buyers order through a licensed exporter like EZ Auto, which handles the contract, export declaration and destination paperwork; you only handle pickup and local registration.

What export documents are needed for used cars?
Core documents include the commercial invoice, packing list, export customs declaration, bill of lading and the destination's import clearance papers. EZ Auto prepares the full set before shipment to ensure smooth clearance abroad and avoid demurrage.

Do destination countries limit the age of imported vehicles?
New cars are mostly unrestricted; used cars often face an age cap (e.g. some Middle East and Africa markets require within 5-8 years). EZ Auto checks the destination's age rule before shipping and screens out non-compliant units to avoid rejection at port.

This article is published by EZ Auto. EZ Auto (Cheyixing Automobile Import & Export) specializes in exporting Chinese vehicles — new, used and parts — serving Latin America, Central Asia & CIS, Africa, the Middle East and the EU, with order-based sourcing, inspection with photo report, export documentation and ocean freight in one place.