Trade Lanes from Mundra & Kandla
Six lanes · export and import
Which trade lanes does RP International ship on?
RP International ships on six trade lanes through Gujarat: exports from Mundra to West Africa (about 29 days), East Africa (about 18 days), the UAE (about 4 days) and Saudi Arabia (about 14 days), and imports from China to Mundra and from Europe to Kandla (about 42 days). Transit times are typical, not guaranteed.
Each lane has its own destination rules, from Nigeria's Form M to Saudi Arabia's SABER certificates. Our partners at the far end check them before loading, and each lane page lists the documents, seasons and port pairs.
- Export lanes
- West Africa, East Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia
- Import lanes
- China to Mundra, Europe to Kandla
- Shortest
- Mundra to UAE, about 4 days
- Longest
- Europe to Kandla, about 42 days
Trade lanes
Which lane is your cargo on?
Transit, documents, seasons and the partner at the far end, one page per lane.
Compare
How do the six lanes compare?
Typical transit, main ports and the destination rule to check first. Transit varies by line and transhipment.
| Lane | Direction | Typical transit | Main ports | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China to Mundra | Import | Per sailing | Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shenzhen | BIS and anti-dumping duty |
| Europe to Kandla | Import | About 42 days | Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp | Scrap inspection certificate |
| Mundra to West Africa | Export | About 29 days | Lagos, Tema, Cotonou, Lomé, Abidjan | Form M, SONCAP, cargo tracking note |
| Mundra to East Africa | Export | About 18 days | Mombasa, Dar es Salaam | PVoC certificate of conformity |
| Mundra to Saudi Arabia | Export | About 14 days | Jeddah, Dammam | SABER certificates |
| Mundra to UAE | Export | About 4 days | Jebel Ali, Khalifa, Sharjah | CEPA certificate of origin |
Transit times are typical figures, not guarantees; we confirm the transit and free days for each sailing.
Cargo
What moves on each lane?
The cargo we handle most on each lane, and the container it usually travels in.
| Lane | Main cargo | Usual container |
|---|---|---|
| China to Mundra | Machinery, solar equipment, chemicals, consumer goods | FCL, or LCL consolidated in China |
| Europe to Kandla | Machinery, chemicals, metal scrap, project equipment | 20ft for scrap; flat racks or breakbulk for project cargo |
| Mundra to West Africa | Tiles, rice, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods | 20ft for tiles and rice |
| Mundra to East Africa | Pharmaceuticals, rice, tiles, engineering goods | 20ft and 40ft |
| Mundra to Saudi Arabia | Tiles, steel, building materials, rice | 20ft for tiles and steel |
| Mundra to UAE | Rice, textiles, tiles, engineering goods | 20ft and 40HC |
Choosing
What should you check before shipping on a lane?
Three checks that save the most trouble at the far end.
Destination documents
Certificates such as SONCAP, PVoC or SABER must be issued before loading. Missing ones mean fines or holds on arrival.
Seasons
Chinese New Year, Ramadan and peak season all change space and rates, so book around them.
Incoterm
The incoterm decides who pays freight, origin and destination charges, and where the risk passes to the buyer.
Transhipment
Many services change vessel at a hub port. It adds days and a second handling, so we say whether a sailing is direct.
Free days
Each destination allows limited free time before storage and container detention start. Agree it before booking.
Cargo insurance
A carrier's liability for loss is limited, so insure the cargo value. The incoterm decides who arranges it.
Why RP International
Why ship your lane with a team at the port?
A lane has two ends. We handle the Indian end ourselves, at Mundra and Kandla, and work with partner agents at the other, so one team answers for the whole journey.
- Indian end in-houseBooking, clearance and loading at Mundra or Kandla, done by our own team.
- Partner at the far endDestination rules checked and arrival coordinated by our partner agents.
- Desk open 24 hoursCut-offs, holds and arrival notices answered the day they come up.
Quote
Get a lane quote
Rates and the document list for your consignment, back within 24 hours.
- A team at the port, in Gandhidham
- Clearance desk open 24 hours
- Document list with every quote
How long does shipping from Mundra take to Africa and the Gulf?
Typically about 4 days to the UAE, 14 days to Saudi Arabia, 18 days to East Africa and 29 days to West Africa. These are typical figures; the line and transhipment change them.
Why is there no transit time for China to Mundra?
It varies widely with the Chinese port and whether the service is direct or via transhipment, so we confirm it for each sailing rather than publish one figure.
Do you have agents at the destination?
Yes. Our partner agents on each lane check the destination's rules before loading and coordinate arrival. You deal with us for the whole journey.
Why do you not publish freight rates?
Ocean rates move with fuel, season and capacity, often weekly. We quote the current rate for your sailing and show every part of it separately.
Which lane has the strictest document rules?
West Africa and Saudi Arabia: Nigeria needs Form M and often SONCAP, several countries need cargo tracking notes, and Saudi Arabia needs SABER certificates for regulated goods.
Can you ship to a destination not listed here?
Yes. These are our busiest lanes, not the only ones. Send the destination and cargo and we will quote it.
Which lanes are imports?
China to Mundra and Europe to Kandla. We clear the import at the Indian port, filing the Bill of Entry before the vessel berths.
What decides the transit time on a lane?
The line, whether the service is direct or transhipped, port congestion and the season. We give the expected transit and free days with each quote.