Import duty in Kenya is paid when cargo is cleared for home use - unless it goes into a bonded warehouse. Brandmax bonded storage lets you land dutiable goods, store them under customs bond, and release them in batches as orders come in. Duty follows the sale instead of preceding it: a genuine cash-flow advantage for importers holding meaningful stock.
For regional traders the benefits go further. Goods in bond can be re-exported to neighbouring markets without ever paying Kenyan duty - land at Mombasa, store under bond in Nairobi, and dispatch to Kampala or Kigali under transit documentation, with only the Kenyan-market portion ever attracting Kenyan duty.
Bonded storage is a customs-controlled regime, and the accounting must be exact: bonded stock balances, release entries and bond acquittals are reconciled continuously so the facility stays in good standing and your stock stays available.
What is included
- Duty-suspended storage under customs bond
- Partial and full releases as stock sells
- Re-export from bond to regional markets
- Bonded stock records and customs reconciliation
- Combined transit + bonded logistics for regional distribution
- Duty planning guidance per product range
How it works
Enter into bond
Cargo is cleared into bonded storage under customs documentation - no import duty paid.
Stock held under bond
Goods sit secure with bonded stock records maintained to customs standard.
Release as you sell
Withdrawals are cleared in batches - duty paid only on what leaves for the Kenyan market.
Re-export the rest
Regional orders leave under transit documentation with zero Kenyan duty, and the bond is acquitted.
Frequently asked questions
How much cash flow can bonded storage free up?
Duty and VAT on a container of dutiable goods commonly runs to hundreds of thousands or millions of shillings - bonded storage defers all of it until the stock actually sells.
Can bonded goods be delivered to Uganda or Rwanda?
Yes - goods in bond can move to regional destinations under transit documentation without ever paying Kenyan import duty.
Is there a time limit on bonded storage?
Bonded regimes carry defined storage periods under customs rules - we track them for you and advise before limits approach.