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Why Does Cargo Spend Weeks in Sub-Saharan African Ports?
Table 3.11 Average Dwell Time in Douala Port, by Type of Commodity
Product category Chemicals and allied industries Foodstuffs Plastics and rubber Machinery electrical Stone and glass Metals Textiles Vegetable products Miscellaneous Wood and wooden products Mineral products Transportation Footwear and headgear Raw hides, skins, leather, and furs Other
Average dwell time (days)
Number of containers
% of containers
16.4 24.2 21.5 24.3 22.9 19.9 19.9 21.4 23.1 18.0 18.0 26.2 16.2 18.4 30.9
5,945 5,744 4,883 4,773 4,036 3,589 3,571 3,430 2,646 2,431 2,418 1,623 593 558 261
13 12 11 10 9 8 8 7 6 5 5 3 1 1 1
Source: Refas and Cantens 2011.
so need to be examined. The specific context of the port of Douala is of importance when interpreting high dwell times. The C&F market is very concentrated in Douala, with an aggregate market share of the 20 biggest agents that exceeds 55 percent for container imports destined for local consumption. Despite the increase in the number of C&F agents in operation (4 percent growth annually), the top players gain market share every year. This concentration has two adverse effects on dwell times: first, the weak negotiating power of clients with the main C&F agents leads to a low level of service; second, low-cost, unprofessional C&F agents have no choice but to compete for the rest of the market on price at the expense of quality. As shown in tables 3.12 and 3.13, the time efficiency of the major C&F agents for successive operations before the container exits the port is poor, in the lowest percentiles. The performance of C&F agents seems to be rather idiosyncratic. However, due to their existing market share and market concentration, their poor performance does not hamper their development (and they probably pass on to the consumer their internal deficiencies). Efficient international trade logistics require standardization and predictability. However, this standardization can hardly be reached when shippers operate with a small number of containers per shipment and a