AC Landed Cost Calculator for West Africa (FOB to your warehouse)

21 September 2026 · JML Market Team

What 'landed cost' actually means

Landed cost is everything it takes to get one air conditioner from the Chinese factory floor to your warehouse or retailer in West Africa. The FOB unit price is the smallest part; the rest is freight, tax and handling. If you quote customers on FOB alone, you will under-price and lose margin, or over-price and lose the deal.

The FOB-to-door formula

Landed unit cost = (FOB + ocean freight + insurance + destination handling) per unit, plus import duty, VAT and clearance fees, plus last-mile trucking, plus an after-sales buffer for spare parts. Model it per unit on a spreadsheet before you commit to a container.

Worked example: 40'HQ to Lagos vs Tema

Take a 40'HQ of fixed-speed splits at about US$159 FOB per 12K unit. Ocean freight and insurance add roughly US$18-28 per unit depending on season; Nigerian duty + VAT (about 20 percent + 7.5 percent) and clearing lift it further than Ghana's 20 percent + 15 percent VAT. All-in, the same unit typically lands at US$190-230. The exact number depends on BTU mix, container size and current freight.

Country duty & VAT quick reference

Nigeria: about 20 percent duty + 7.5 percent VAT + levies, SONCAP required. Ghana: about 20 percent duty + 15 percent VAT + NHIL/GETFund, L.I. 2458 required. The Francophone four (Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo) sit inside the ECOWAS Common External Tariff at about 20 percent, with VAT around 18 percent and French-language documents mandatory.

Hidden costs that sink margins

Demurrage and detention when clearance stalls, the L.I. 2458 or SONCAP rework, French document translation, R32 dangerous-goods fees, and an after-sales spare-parts kit (2-3 percent of line value). Buyers who skip these lines are the ones who import a 'cheap' container and lose money.

How to lower landed cost

Mix BTU sizes to fill the 40'HQ (366 x 12K / 225 x 18K / 190 x 24K), book freight early before peak season, pre-clear certification so the container never waits, and consolidate with a verified Midea-manufactured supplier on 30 percent deposit / B/L-balance terms instead of 100 percent prepayment.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is a realistic landed cost for a 12K split? A: About US$190-230 all-in to West Africa at typical 2026 freight, depending on country and BTU mix.

Q: Is CIF cheaper than FOB? A: CIF is easier but you pay a markup and lose freight control; FOB gives a truer landed-cost model.

Q: Who pays duty — buyer or supplier? A: Under FOB/CIF the importer pays destination duty and VAT; only DDP shifts that to the supplier.

Request a FOB landed-cost estimate

Tell JML your target countries, BTU mix and volumes and we return a FOB-based landed-cost estimate per unit, with the duty, VAT and clearance assumptions spelled out so you can quote customers with confidence. Chat with our sourcing team on WhatsApp in English or French. Confirm current tariffs with a licensed broker before ordering.