Specialised Services

Import / Export

Premier freight agent

Trade Ocean is one of the premier freight agents in South Africa and offers a range of services from air and ocean freight to import/ export and clearing and forwarding. Imports and exports are subject to governmental legislation and special permits or licenses are required to bring certain goods into South Africa. Our staff are well versed in South African customs procedures, providing invaluable assistance to our clients and ensuring that the import/ export process runs smoothly.

Harmonised System (HS)

South Africa subscribes to the Harmonised System (HS), which is an international commodities classification system governing the importing and exporting of goods. The HS oversees product encoding and the development of trade statistics, allowing various countries to compile appropriate import and export business tariffs.

Facilitating the import & export process

As a result of South Africa being a member of the World Trade Organisation, companies and businesses can enjoy relaxed restrictions imposed on imports and exports. There are, however, some restrictions on the importing and exporting of certain products which, according to the Import Control Act, require an import/ export license or permit. As import and export agents, we assist clients to obtain the relevant permits, licenses and documentation required. Trade Ocean also facilitates the processing of data through customs control.

Any import and export agency that acts on a company's behalf has to present certain documents to customs control authorities in order to allow the import and export processes and procedures to be finalised. We make sure that all documentation is completed and signed according to regulations, and submitted through the appropriate channels to expedite the import and export process, avoiding unexpected delays.

Local & international clients

Trade Ocean has offices in Johannesburg (dry port), Cape Town and Durban in South Africa and Walvis Bay (Namibia), which allows us to oversee the management of the entire import and export process for our local and international business clients.

View our list of services or contact us to find out how our specialised services can make the import/ export of products plain sailing for your business.