Logistics services in Eritrea.

Eritrea logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Eritrea use sea, air, rail and coastal road connections. Two seaports, Assab and Mitsiwa Harbor, serve maritime cargo along a coastline of about 2,234 km. Container traffic is modest at about 27,500 TEU in 2019 and liner shipping connectivity was low at 3.46 in 2021.

Asmara International Airport (ASM) handles scheduled air services and supports time-sensitive shipments. A rail network of about 306 km and multiple land borders with Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan shape inland distribution and cross-border trucking options.

Freight forwarders in Eritrea need to work around relatively low logistics performance, with an overall LPI of 2.09 compared with a world median of 2.7. Customs, infrastructure, international shipments, logistics quality, tracking and tracing, and timeliness are all below the respective medians.

When selecting freight forwarders in Eritrea, check their experience at Assab and Mitsiwa Harbor and their working relationships with lines such as CMA CGM, Maersk and PIL that have offices in the country. Given strong trade links with China and the UAE on both the export and import side, forwarders with established routings into these markets and awareness of COMESA and AU procedures are useful.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Eritrea moves mainly through the small ports of Mitsiwa Harbor (ERMSW) and Assab (ERASA). Both are classified as small, with cargo pier depths of about 12 m and 11 m respectively, and support general cargo and oil traffic. Mitsiwa Harbor has a rail connection into the 306 km national network.

Container throughput was about 27,500 TEU in 2019, and liner connectivity was low at 3.46 in 2021. International carriers with offices in Eritrea include CMA CGM and PIL in Massawa and Maersk in Asmara, and they can arrange FCL and LCL bookings through these ports.

Air freight in Eritrea uses Asmara International Airport (ASM), the country’s main airport with scheduled services. The wider network includes about 11 airports overall.

Exports are dominated by copper ore, zinc ore, gold, garments and liquor, while imports focus on trucks, sorghum, construction vehicles, wheat flours and other foods. High-value or urgent garments, liquor and specialized parts are typical candidates for air, especially on routes to and from main partners such as China, the UAE, Turkey and the USA.

Rail and road freight in Eritrea is influenced by a rail network of about 306 km that links to Mitsiwa Harbor. This supports inland movement of port traffic where the line is operational.

By road, Eritrea borders Djibouti over about 125 km, Ethiopia over about 1,033 km and Sudan over about 682 km. These corridors allow trucking options for regional trade and for feeding or evacuating cargo that connects to maritime services at Assab and Mitsiwa Harbor.

Customs clearance in Eritrea operates in a context of WCO membership since 1995 and non-membership in the WTO. Eritrea belongs to COMESA and the AU, which shape regional trade preferences. The average applied tariff was about 5 percent in 2006.

The LPI customs score was 2.13 versus a world median of 2.6, and overall LPI was 2.09. Export and import procedures were relatively fast in 2010, with both export and import lead times recorded at about 3 days. Shippers should prepare a clear commercial invoice, packing list and transport documents to limit delays.