How Long Does it Take to Import Goods from China to Ghana in 2024?

How Long Does it Take to Import Goods from China to Ghana in 2024?
How Long Does it Take to Import Goods from China to Ghana in 2024?

Are you a Ghanaian business owner wondering "How long does it take to import products from China?" Knowing the typical import timelines from China to Ghana is crucial for planning your inventory and ensuring a smooth supply chain.

As Chinese manufacturers become an increasingly popular sourcing hub for Ghanaian firms, understanding the import process and associated timelines becomes essential. This guide explores the estimated duration for importing goods from China to Ghana in 2024.

The import journey from China to Ghana involves several key stages:

  1. Sourcing (1-5 days)

  2. Purchase & Payment Processing (10-12 days)

  3. Production Lead Time (1-60 days)

  4. Quality Inspections (4-5 days)

  5. International Shipping to Ghana (14 days air, 60 days sea)

  6. Customs Clearance in Ghana (1-5 days)

Click here to find out the best ways to import goods from China to Ghana

Let's dive deeper into each stage's typical timelines:

Sourcing Chinese Suppliers Finding the right Chinese manufacturer(s) through research, supplier vetting, negotiations, and ordering can be time-consuming. With efficient sourcing platforms, this can be shortened to 1-5 days.

Purchase & Payment Processing After finalizing suppliers, payment processing like wire transfers may take 10-12 days. Services like Checkit Procurement allow upfront payments to accelerate production.

Manufacturing Lead Time Depending on your product's availability or need for custom manufacturing, this stage can range from 1 day for stocked goods to 60 days for made-to-order items.

Quality Inspections & Testing Most importers engage third-party inspection agencies, which can take 4-5 working days. Consolidating services like Checkit Procurement's streamline this process.

Shipping to Ghana Air freight for regular goods takes around 14 days, while seafreight is longer at 60 days on average. Specialized products may require extra handling, extending air shipping to 3 weeks.

Customs Clearance Finally, customs processes in Ghana typically require 1-5 working days after the goods arrive at the port of entry.

The entire import cycle from ordering to delivery in Ghana can therefore take 15 days at the low end for air-shipped stocked goods or up to 70 days for custom sea-freight orders, depending on your product specifications.

To simplify and expedite imports from China, consider leveraging Checkit Procurement's full-service procurement suite - which integrates sourcing, quality checks, freight consolidation, and real-time tracking - potentially saving weeks on your import timelines.

For a detailed guide on conveniently importing from China using Checkit Procurement's platform, read our comprehensive blog post here: