Grimaldi Agency Nigeria has clarified reports regarding the company’s sale of empty shipping containers.
The company also refuted reports that it sold 2,500 empty containers, describing such claims as false and unsupported by facts.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Grimaldi Agency Nigeria said claims suggesting that the seller was liable for customs duties following the sale of a few empty containers are inaccurate and inconsistent with the terms of sale.
In April, The NGGOSSIPS reported that the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria had condemned the advertisement by Grimaldi Agency Nigeria offering empty containers for sale in United States dollars, describing the move as a direct affront to Nigeria’s economic stability and a contradiction of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The report also stated that, in a notice, Grimaldi Shipping Company, one of the shipping lines operating in the nation’s maritime sector, stated, “Our principals have released another batch of high-quality empty containers at an unbeatable price.”
According to the notice, the company stated that a 40-foot empty container would be sold for $2,000, while a 20-foot container is priced at $1,600.
“Whether you are expanding your storage capacity, scaling logistics operations, or reselling, this is a limited-time opportunity you don’t want to miss. Enjoy an extra discount when bulk buying in a single transaction. Bigger volume, better savings,” Grimaldi stated in the notice.
Also on Monday, the Principal Consultant, International Trade Advisory Service, Mr Okey Ibeke, in a chat with members of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Apapa, Lagos, disclosed that Nigeria may have lost about N600bn within the last 30 years due to the sale of empty containers by some shipping companies.
However, reacting to this, Grimaldi stressed that empty containers were sold “strictly in their international customs status, commonly referred to as a foreign customs position, and were not transferred as domesticated equipment intended for local use within Nigeria.”
“The terms of the sale were clearly outlined in the documentation provided to the purchaser. The invoice expressly stated that the containers were being transferred in foreign customs position and that the buyer was meant to use the equipment solely for international carriage of goods without altering their original customs status,” Grimaldi added.
Grimaldi further noted that the sales agreement specifically provided that if any local customs regulations required the containers to be regularised or domesticated for local use, such procedures would be carried out entirely at the buyer’s responsibility and expense.
The company emphasised that the arrangement reflects established international shipping practice, under which containers sold in foreign customs status are routinely purchased by traders, exporters, and logistics operators for use as shipper-owned containers in international trade.
“Under this model, containers may continue to operate in international commerce without any change to their customs classification or status. The company stressed that customs obligations generally arise only when a purchaser elects to convert the equipment for domestic purposes, including storage, construction projects, or other local applications that require domestication under applicable customs regulations. In such circumstances, responsibility rests with the party changing the status and use of the equipment, namely the purchaser,” the company added.
Grimaldi maintained that any customs duties, taxes, levies, or related charges that may become payable as a result of a buyer’s decision to domesticate the containers cannot be attributed to the seller, as such obligations arise from actions taken after the sale’s completion.
Reaffirming its position, the company stated that Grimaldi Deep Sea S.p.A. has consistently conducted its operations in accordance with applicable international shipping standards, industry practices, and the contractual terms agreed with its customers.
Grimaldi said the contractual obligations and responsibilities associated with the transaction were clearly defined from the outset and remain consistent with established principles governing international container trade.
