Sea or air: deciding by weight and downtime cost
The decision is rarely about freight price alone — it is about the cost of machine downtime. A filter shipment that keeps a mining fleet running can justify air freight many times over, while a planned overhaul kit ordered a season ahead belongs on sea freight. As a rule of thumb, parts above a few hundred kilograms or with steel structures go by sea; urgent electronics, seals and injectors fly.
Export packing that survives the trip
African-bound cargo often faces multiple handlings, humid ports and rough inland roads. Proper export packing means fumigated or plywood crates, rust-prevention oil and VCI film on machined surfaces, sealed bags for electronics, and heavy parts bolted or blocked inside the crate so they cannot shift. Photos of the packed crate before sealing should be part of every shipment.
Documents your customs broker will ask for
A standard parts shipment needs a commercial invoice with accurate HS codes, a packing list matching the crate contents, and the bill of lading or air waybill. Depending on the destination country you may also need a certificate of origin and a pre-shipment inspection or conformity certificate. Aligning invoice descriptions with what customs officers can physically verify in the crate avoids most clearance delays.
Controlling cost per shipment
The biggest savings come from consolidation: collecting parts from several suppliers into one crate, one set of documents and one clearance. Second is planning order cycles around sea freight lead times so air freight becomes the exception. Third is right-sizing crates — volumetric weight drives LCL and air pricing, so compact packing directly cuts cost.
Incoterms and HS codes: agree them before you pay
Agree the Incoterm in writing before you pay. Under FOB, the seller delivers the goods on board at the Chinese port and you arrange and pay the main sea freight. Under CIF, the seller pays freight and minimum insurance to your destination port, but the risk passes to you once the goods are loaded in China. Under DAP, the seller delivers to a named place in your country and you handle import clearance and duties. The Incoterm decides who books the ship, who insures the cargo and whose problem a delay becomes.
Every line on the invoice needs its own HS code, and a mixed parts crate rarely fits one heading. Parts used principally with excavators, loaders and cranes generally fall under heading 8431, but hydraulic pumps are classified under 8413, filters under 8421 and many engine parts under 8409. Customs officers check the description against the heading, so a crate invoiced as "machinery parts" on a single line invites an inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does sea freight take from China to West Africa?
Port-to-port commonly runs four to seven weeks depending on the route and transshipment. Add inland clearance and trucking time for door delivery. East African ports are usually faster than West African ones.
Can small urgent parts be combined with a sea shipment?
A split strategy works better: fly the urgent items now and put the rest on the next consolidated sea crate. Holding urgent parts for consolidation usually costs more in downtime than the air freight saves.
Which Incoterm should I ask for?
If you have a freight forwarder you trust in China, FOB gives you control of the booking and the cost. If you do not, CIF to your port is simpler, but the risk passes to you at loading, so check what the insurance actually covers. DAP suits buyers who want one price to a named place but still handle their own import clearance.
What HS code do heavy equipment parts use?
There is no single code. Parts for excavators, loaders and cranes generally go under heading 8431, but pumps, filters, engine parts, bearings and seals each have their own headings. The final code is set by your destination country's tariff, so confirm it with your customs broker; we list each part type on its own invoice line to make that straightforward.