Economic Growth: Customs urged to stop Sales of Empty Containers by Grimaldi, others

By Ramadan AbusiOdumare

THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has been urged to stop the illegal sales of empty containers by Grimaldi Agency Nigeria and other shipping companies operating in the country to stabilise the nation’s economic growth.

The call was made in Lagos, TODAY, by the Principal Consultant at International Trade Advisory Services, Mr Okey Ibeke.

Addressing members of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) in Lagos, TODAY, Ibeke called on the Comptroller-General of the Service, Adewale Adeniyi to suspend with immediate effect, all sales of empty containers by Grimaldi Agency Nigeria and other shipping lines pending a full audit empty containers within the ports and abandoned bonded terminals.

The Federal Government, the trade expert said, may have lost over $600 million in Customs duties and VAT over 30 years due to the illegal sale of empty shipping containers by foreign shipping lines operating across the nation’s sea ports

Ibeke claims that his intervention, “followed media reports that Grimaldi Agency Nigeria plans to sell over 2,500 empty containers to the Nigerian public. According to the reports, which Grimaldi has not refuted, the sale terms are: $2,000 for a 40ft container and $1,600 for a 20ft container. Inspection is allowed at terminals, but invoices will be issued in USD only and payment must be made through domiciliary accounts before release.

“This is happening while the Federal Government, through the CBN and Ministry of Finance, is intensifying efforts to stabilise the Naira and stop the dollarisation of domestic transactions,” Ibeke said.

He argued that the core violation is not pricing, but legal status. The containers, according to him, “are in Nigeria under Temporary Import status, meaning they were brought in to carry cargo and must be re-exported. They cannot be sold locally unless converted to permanent import through the Nigeria Customs Service.

Under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and Temporary Import Guidelines, conversion, Ibeke said, ” requires: application to NCS, Customs valuation, payment of duties, VAT and levies into government accounts, and issuance of a release order. Only then can the container be sold legally in Nigeria, and the transaction must be in Naira unless the CBN grants an exemption. With Grimaldi, Step 5 is happening without Steps 1-4. That is illegal,” Ibeke stated.

Using the 2026 Customs tariff for HS Code 86.09 — 5% import duty + 7.5 per cent VAT + 0.5 per cent ECOWAS ETLS + 4 per cent FOB levy, Ibeke said “that government loses $350-$400 in duties and taxes per $2,000 container if sold without conversion. For 2,500 units, the loss is $875,000 to $1,000,000 from one company in one transaction.

Extending the analysis, he said , “industry estimates show hundreds of thousands of containers have been sold locally over 30 years for use as shops, cold rooms, and building materials. If 250,000 containers were sold at an average $1,500 without duty payment, Nigeria lost over $375 million in duties and VAT — over ₦600 billion at current exchange rates. That is the money the Federal Government supposed to use funding roads, schools, hospitals, and debt service,” he said.

Ibeke added that Grimaldi is not an isolated case. For 30 years,he said, ” Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, COSCO, ONE, Evergreen, and PIL have operated in Nigerian ports under similar conditions.

He linked the problem to Nigeria’s trade imbalance. According to him, “imports account for 75 per cent of dry cargo while exports are just 15 per cent. With oil and minerals making up 70 per cent of exports but not containerized, ships arrive full but leave 97 per cent empty. The cost of repatriating empties — $2,000 to $4,000 per 20ft container — incentivizes shipping lines to abandon or sell them locally.

The press conference also highlighted 10 recurring complaints by importers and clearing agents: arbitrary demurrage/detention charges billed in USD, no invoice breakdown, delayed refund of container deposits, forced use of nominated transporters, rejection of Naira payments, and withholding of Telex Release/Original Bills of Lading until local charges are paid.

Ibeke urged the Customs CG to suspend all sales of Grimaldi and other shipping line containers pending investigation; conduct a system-wide audit of all shipping lines/agents from 2006 to date; reconcile NPA gate records with NCS import manifests to identify containers not re-exported or converted; assess and recover all outstanding duties, taxes, levies, and penalties,; sanction violators under Sections 36 and 245 of the NCS Act, including license suspension.

This, Ibeke said, is not about driving away investors. It is about enforcing the law and protecting Nigeria’s revenue at a time when Federal Government desperately needs funds to stabilise the economy and pursue President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Economic Agenda,” he said.