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Freight Forwarders in Benin (2026)

Freight forwarders and logistics providers listed in Benin

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Benin ocean freight by the numbers

Last updated:

Shipzy samples 34 port-to-port lanes for Benin, on which 7 ocean carriers publish schedules, connecting 17 countries.

The fastest scheduled transit is 13 days, the median scheduled transit is 44 days, and 9 in 10 sampled sailings complete within 69 days.

22% of the 342 sampled sailings are direct; the remainder route via a transshipment hub.

The VGM cutoff falls a median of 2 days before departure, across 252 sampled sailings.

Figures describe 342 sailings sampled from 7 carrier APIs, last refreshed 4 October 2026.

7Carriers sampledCMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, Maersk, ONE, ZIM
76.1%Of global fleet capacityCombined TEU share of those carriers
34Port-to-port lanesAcross 342 sampled sailings
17Countries connectedMost lanes: CN, US, AE
13 daysFastest transitShortest scheduled port-to-port time
44 daysMedian transit90th percentile 69 days
22%Direct sailingsRest route via a transshipment hub
50Named servicesDistinct carrier service loops
149Vessels seenDistinct vessel names in sampled sailings

Cutoff lead times in Benin

Median days between each cutoff and vessel departure, across sampled sailings. Carrier-estimated cutoffs are excluded.
CutoffMedian days before departureSailings sampled
Dangerous goods cutoff3142
Documentation cutoff3211
Port cutoff3122
Reefer cutoff2133
Cargo cutoff2162
VGM cutoff2252
Terminal cutoff1109

Most-sampled trade lanes from Benin

Partner countryLanes sampled
CN8
US5
AE2
AU2
DE2
How these numbers are measured

Figures come from the ocean schedule APIs Shipzy integrates with: CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, Maersk, ONE, ZIM. They describe the lanes Shipzy samples, not every sailing serving Benin.

The nightly sync sweeps nine global hub ports plus a set of regional template lanes, storing up to three sailings per lane, and refreshes one country per night. So coverage leans towards intercontinental routings, and the as-of date above can be several weeks old for smaller markets.

Transit figures are medians rather than averages, so a few multi-transshipment routings cannot distort them. Cutoff lead times exclude carrier-estimated cutoffs and any lead outside a 0–21 day window. Emissions figures are not published here, because only one carrier reports measured CO2; the rest are modelled from transit time and would restate transit days as emissions.

  • Carriers sampled: Derived from ocean schedules published by 7 carrier APIs, as of 4 October 2026.
  • Of global fleet capacity: Sum of each sampled carrier’s share of global container capacity. Describes the carriers, not this country’s market share.
  • Port-to-port lanes: Derived from ocean schedules published by 7 carrier APIs, as of 4 October 2026.
  • Countries connected: Derived from ocean schedules published by 7 carrier APIs, as of 4 October 2026.
  • Fastest transit: Derived from ocean schedules published by 7 carrier APIs, as of 4 October 2026.
  • Median transit: Median of 342 scheduled transit times. Median, not mean — a few multi-transshipment routings would distort an average.
  • Direct sailings: Share of 342 sampled sailings with no transshipment. Carriers count legs slightly differently, so treat as indicative.
  • Named services: Derived from ocean schedules published by 7 carrier APIs, as of 4 October 2026.
  • Vessels seen: Derived from ocean schedules published by 7 carrier APIs, as of 4 October 2026. Counted by vessel name, so spelling variants may inflate this slightly.

Logistics Overview

Benin’s Port of Cotonou is both the national gateway and a major transit hub serving landlocked Niger and Burkina Faso, giving the country an outsized role in West African corridor logistics.

Infrastructure Advantage

A large share of Cotonou’s throughput is transit cargo moving north by road. Cotton is the leading export; consumer goods, vehicles, and food head inbound and onward to the Sahel. Port modernization under concession has improved handling times, but corridor trucking and border formalities still set the pace.

Sea Ports

Major seaports and maritime logistics hubs

Port of Cotonou

BJ COO
Specialization

National gateway and transit hub for Niger and Burkina Faso

Air Freight

Air cargo hubs and handling services

Cotonou Cadjehoun Airport

COO
Strategic RoleMain international air cargo gateway

Carrier Offices & Terminals

Live

Major shipping lines with local presence

Booking Offices

Maersk

Cotonou - bj

Cotonou

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Maersk Terminals & Ports

MaerskBJCOO

Cotonou Coman (ML) Terminal

Cotonou

Find Terminal →
MaerskBJCOO

Cotonou Sobemap Terminal

Cotonou

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MaerskBJCOO

Benin Terminal

Cotonou

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MaerskBJCOO

Cotonou off-shore bunkering

Cotonou

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MaerskBJPKO

Parakou Terminal

Parakou

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Shipping Schedules

Live ocean freight routes from carrier schedules

Updated 4 Oct 2026
Trade Lane
Carrier
Service Lines
Type
Transit
Next Departure
COTONOU→DURBAN
MSC
IW
Direct
13d~0.484t CO2
29 Oct
COTONOU→DURBAN
MSC
IW
Direct
15d~0.558t CO2
22 Oct
COTONOU→ROTTERDAM
CMA CGM
KORA -> EPIC
1 stop
17d~2.088t CO2
14 Oct
TANGER MED→COTONOU
Hapag-Lloyd
WAX
Direct
17d~0.632t CO2
5 Oct
TANGER MED→COTONOU
Hapag-Lloyd
WAX
Direct
17d~0.632t CO2
18 Oct
Cotonou→Singapore
COSCO
101E
Direct
17d
12 Oct
TANGER MED→COTONOU
Hapag-Lloyd
WAX
Direct
17d~0.632t CO2
12 Oct
Cotonou→Singapore
COSCO
630E
Direct
17d
5 Oct
COTONOU→ROTTERDAM
CMA CGM
KORA -> EPIC
1 stop
19d~2.088t CO2
24 Oct
COTONOU→DURBAN
MSC
IW
Direct
19d~0.707t CO2
10 Oct
BENIN TERMINAL SMTC→PSA CORPORATION LIMITED
ONE
SW2
Direct
20d~0.744t CO2
6 Oct
COTONOU→ROTTERDAM
CMA CGM
KORA -> EPIC
1 stop
20d~2.088t CO2
23 Oct
COTONOU→HAMBURG
CMA CGM
KORA -> EPIC
1 stop
20d~2.115t CO2
14 Oct
PSA Singapore Terminal→Benin Terminal
Maersk
FW1 -> W11
1 stop
21d~0.781t CO2
21 Oct
Benin Terminal→PSA Singapore Terminal
Maersk
FW2
Direct
21d~0.781t CO2
17 Oct
COTONOU→ROTTERDAM
MSC
NY -> NN
1 stop
21d~0.781t CO2
27 Oct
COTONOU→SINGAPORE
ZIM
FA2
Direct
21d~0.781t CO2
5 Oct
COTONOU→SINGAPORE
CMA CGM
NWAX3
Direct
21d~1.677t CO2
17 Oct
COTONOU→ROTTERDAM
MSC
NY -> NN
1 stop
22d~0.818t CO2
3 Nov
COTONOU→SINGAPORE
CMA CGM
NWAX3
Direct
22d~1.677t CO2
9 Oct
COTONOU→HAMBURG
CMA CGM
KORA -> EPIC
1 stop
22d~2.115t CO2
24 Oct
COTONOU→HAMBURG
CMA CGM
KORA -> EPIC
1 stop
23d~2.115t CO2
23 Oct
COTONOU→NEW YORK
MSC
NY -> UF
1 stop
23d~0.856t CO2
27 Oct
Benin Terminal→PSA Singapore Terminal
Maersk
FW2
Direct
23d~0.856t CO2
9 Oct
PSA Singapore Terminal→Benin Terminal
Maersk
FW1 -> W11
1 stop
25d~0.93t CO2
31 Oct
Cotonou→Shanghai
COSCO
101E
Direct
25d
12 Oct
COTONOU→ROTTERDAM
MSC
NY -> NN
1 stop
25d~0.93t CO2
23 Oct
Cotonou→Shanghai
COSCO
630E
Direct
25d
5 Oct
Hamburg→Cotonou
COSCO
415S → 130S → 637E
2 stops
26d
6 Oct
COTONOU→NEW YORK
MSC
NY -> UF
1 stop
26d~0.967t CO2
23 Oct

Last updated: 4 Oct 2026, 17:42 UTC

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about logistics in Benin

Why is the Port of Cotonou important beyond Benin?+

It is one of the main sea gateways for landlocked Niger and Burkina Faso, so much of its container volume continues overland under transit regimes.

How long does sea freight from China to Benin take?+

Typically 30–45 days port to port to Cotonou, usually with transshipment.

How long does shipping from Europe to Cotonou take?+

Roughly 12–20 days port to port from North Europe or the western Mediterranean.

What should I check before shipping transit cargo via Cotonou?+

That your forwarder handles the transit bond, corridor trucking, and border formalities end to end — the overland leg is where timelines slip.

How do I find a reliable freight forwarder in Benin?+

Compare the ranked forwarders on this page and favor those with demonstrated Sahel-corridor experience and fast, complete RFQ responses.