Inland container depots (ICDs) in Tanzania

What an ICD is in law

The Tanzania Shipping Agencies (Dry Port Tariff) Order, 2026 defines a dry port as an inland common user facility linked to a sea port by road, rail or another mode and equipped to handle sea-bound cargo and containers. The term covers inland clearance depots, container freight stations and empty container depots ².

TRA treats an ICD or container freight station (CFS) as a customs-restricted area. Trucks waiting to load must park outside its boundary ¹. For exports, TRA says cargo is stuffed at a CFS under TRA and other agency supervision ⁶.

TRA licence requirements

TRA's customs licencing page sets these conditions for an ICD or CFS. New applicants use form C.18 with a site plan. Renewals are filed online through TANCIS ¹.

• An ICD must be thirty kilometres or more from the port terminal. This rule applies to new applicants only. Rail access is preferred ¹.
• At least 40,000 square metres for an ICD or 10,000 for a CFS, held on a title deed or a lease longer than the licence term ¹.
• A concrete wall at least 3 metres high with electric wire, two separate gates and 24-hour guards and electronic surveillance ¹.
• A paved and drained yard with separate areas for imports, exports, verified goods and empties, and a roofed examination area ¹.
• A customs warehouse of at least 300 square metres and a furnished office for at least 5 customs staff ¹.
• At least two reach stackers, floodlights over the whole site and 24-hour operation ¹.
• A TASAC licence for ICD or CFS operations and a TANROADS clearance letter ¹.

Bonds and licence term

The bonds are signed after the conditions are met and before the licence is issued. TRA asks for a CB2 bond of at least TZS 500,000,000 and a CB13 bond of at least TZS 2,000,000,000 ¹. The page lists no licence fee for an ICD or CFS ¹.

TRA says licences are valid for twelve months from the date of issue and names the law as the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2023 ¹.

Caps on ICD charges

TASAC made the Dry Port Tariff Order, 2026 under section 28(3) of the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Act, Cap. 415. It was signed on 2 September 2026 by Director General Mohamed M. Salum and published as GN 257 on 4 September 2026. Clause 1 says it comes into operation fourteen days after publication in the Gazette ². TASAC listed it on 22 September 2026 ³. The Order revokes an earlier 2026 order of the same name, with the margin reference GN No. 245 of 2026 ².

The amounts are maximums. Charges set in US dollars are invoiced and paid in Tanzania shillings at the exchange rate on the invoice date ². Free storage is at least 7 days for local cargo and at least 15 days for transit containers ².

TPA's own ICD charges

The TPA Deep Sea Tariff Book of January 2026 has a clause on TPA ICD services. Full container handling is US$60 or US$70 and transfer of a full container is US$70 or US$100, by size. Rail transfer from the terminal to an ICD is charged at the TRC rate ⁴.

At ICD Kwala, local import containers get 30 free days and transit import containers 60 free days. Storage after that runs from US$20 to US$80 a day by size and period ⁴.

Enforcement

TRA Commissioner General Yusuph Mwenda warned ICD owners accused of using their facilities to evade taxes, at a meeting with the Association of Inland Container Depot Owners in Dar es Salaam on 19 February 2026. He said TRA knew of tax evasion in some ICD operations and would act, as reported by Rosemary Mirondo of The Citizen ⁵. The report did not give amounts or name any depot ⁵.