Engaging the World Shipping Council

Engaging the World Shipping Council on Reliable Liner Services

Reliable Boxes, Reliable Schedules

The World Shipping Council represents liner shipping companies, the lines that move containers on scheduled routes. Make in Africa is not a member of it, is not affiliated with it, is not endorsed by it and is not an official channel to it. This page only sets out what we will ask and what we can offer. For an African exporter, a sailing that keeps to schedule can decide whether a contract is kept or lost.

Why Liner Services Matter for Africa

Containers Carry African Manufacturing

Processed food, textiles, components and consumer goods mostly move in containers. When a service skips an African port, or empty boxes are hard to find, factories wait and buyers look elsewhere. We want a practical dialogue where liner shipping hears what African exporters and importers face, and where African ports learn what lines need in order to serve them well.

Our Asks
What Make in Africa Will Ask of Liner Shipping

African Ports Served Reliably

Regular calls give exporters certainty. We will ask for clear notice when services change, fair consideration of African ports in network planning, and a dialogue on what ports and governments can do to make calls easier, such as faster berth turnaround and better connections inland.

Empty Containers for Exporters

Many African exporters struggle to get boxes at the right place and time, especially away from the main hub ports. We will ask lines to look at container availability for African exporters, including refrigerated units for fresh produce, and to work with ports and inland depots on repositioning and fair detention terms.

Transparent Charges and Surcharges

Exporters need to know what they will pay before they sign a contract. We will ask for clear tariffs, advance notice of surcharges and plain explanations of how they are set, so that small African producers can price their goods with confidence.

What We Can Offer Liner Shipping

Direct Lines to Port Managers

We will help liner representatives meet terminal operators and port authorities across African coasts to discuss berths, equipment, dredging needs and schedule reliability. We make the introduction and step back. Make in Africa does not speak for any port or operator.

Contact with Exporters and Shippers

Shippers' councils, exporters and manufacturers can explain which routes, products and seasons matter most. Knowing that early helps lines plan equipment and sailings. We will convene short, practical sessions where African shippers set out their needs and lines explain what they need in return.

A Table for Joint Dialogue

We offer a neutral setting for dialogue between lines, ports, shippers and governments. It is a place to talk and share evidence, not to negotiate rates or settle commercial disputes. Those remain between the parties and, where needed, the proper legal bodies.

Fair Terms for Processed Goods

Value Addition Should Not Be Penalised

Africa wants to ship finished and semi-processed goods, not only raw material. We will ask that freight terms do not make processed cargo uncompetitive against cargo from richer economies, and we will press the governments of major trading partners to remove tariff escalation that works against African value addition.

Feeder and Regional Links

Intra-African trade under the AfCFTA needs good coastal and short-sea links, not only long-haul routes. We will ask lines to look at feeder services, transhipment through African ports and regional connections, so that African goods reach African markets at fair cost. Better regional links also create port and logistics jobs at home.

Cold Chain for Fresh Produce

Fruit, fish and vegetables lose value fast when refrigerated plugs, power or schedules fail. We will ask for closer work between lines, ports and growers on cold-chain capacity, so that African producers can sell fresh food abroad and at home without heavy loss.

Data Sharing on Delays and Performance

Open Data on Delays and Waiting

Africa pays heavily for delay. We will ask for aggregate, anonymised information on waiting times, schedule reliability and missed calls, and we will share what African ports and shippers record. We do not blame any company for delay. We want to find where it comes from and fix it.

Shared Standards for Reporting

Agreed ways to measure turnaround, dwell time and reliability let everyone compare like with like. We will invite lines, ports and shippers to discuss simple, common measures that African ports can use to show progress.

African Delivery, Published

Ports and governments must do their share on efficiency, customs and governance. We will publish what African ports commit to and what they deliver, alongside what has been asked of the lines, so that scorekeeping is fair to everyone.

Let Us Talk Reliability

Nothing on this page records an agreement with the World Shipping Council or any of its members. It states in advance what Make in Africa will ask and offer, and we will report openly on any dialogue. Lines, ports and shippers are all welcome to help us sharpen these asks.

Tell us what reliable service would mean for your cargo, through the form.

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About

The Make In Africa Global Summit (MIAGS) is a global platform connecting leaders, businesses, investors, institutions and policymakers shaping the next era of economic growth across the Global South and Africa.

MIAGS advances South–South cooperation, trade, investment, industrialization, technology, infrastructure and economic resilience, creating platforms for dialogue, strategic partnerships and cross-border opportunities.

Our mission is to strengthen the Global South and Africa’s role in the global economy by connecting capital with opportunity, innovation with markets and economic priorities with action—while fostering a more connected, productive and influential economic future.

Engaging the World Shipping Council

Engaging the World Shipping Council on Reliable Liner Services

Why Liner Services Matter for Africa