Logistics services in Guinea-Bissau.

Guinea-Bissau logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Guinea-Bissau rely on sea, air and road connections. As a coastal country with about 350 km of shoreline, it uses the seaports of Bissau and Rio Cacheu for international shipping. Both ports are classified as very small, with Bissau offering cargo pier depth of about 7.9 m and Rio Cacheu about 1.8 m.

International container lines APL, CMA CGM and Maersk have offices in Bissau. Air freight moves through Osvaldo Vieira International Airport, the only airport with scheduled services. Road freight links Guinea-Bissau to Guinea and Senegal for overland trade within ECOWAS markets.

Freight forwarders in Guinea-Bissau need to work with very small ports at Bissau and Rio Cacheu and limited container throughput of about 29,000 TEU in 2019. Liner shipping connectivity is low, with an LSCI of about 4.89 in 2021, so checking a forwarder’s access to carrier space with APL, CMA CGM and Maersk in Bissau is important.

The logistics performance index in 2022 shows customs at 2.7, infrastructure at 2.4 and tracking at 2.3, all close to or below world medians. When choosing a forwarder or customs broker, shippers should ask about handling exports of cashews, fish and crustaceans to India, Chile and regional ECOWAS partners, and imports from Senegal, Portugal and China. Membership in ECOWAS and the AU, along with WTO participation, makes experience with regional procedures and tariffs particularly relevant.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Guinea-Bissau moves mainly through the ports of Bissau (GWOXB) and Rio Cacheu (GWCAC). Both are very small ports, with Bissau offering cargo pier depth of about 7.9 m and Rio Cacheu about 1.8 m. Container throughput was about 29,000 TEU in 2019, placing the country near the lower end of global and regional rankings.

The liner shipping connectivity index stood at about 4.89 in 2021, reflecting limited direct service options. However, major container lines APL, CMA CGM and Maersk maintain offices in Bissau, which supports coordination of FCL and LCL shipments. Outbound flows are dominated by coconuts and cashews, fish and processed crustaceans, while inbound containers often carry refined petroleum, rice, plastics and iron bars.

Air freight in Guinea-Bissau is handled through Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB), the only airport with scheduled services. The country has about 7 airports in total, but scheduled international cargo and passenger movements concentrate at OXB.

Recorded air cargo volume was about 0.1 million tonne-km in 1997. Given the export mix of high-value cashew products and seafood and imports such as pharmaceuticals or urgent manufactured goods, air freight can make sense for smaller, time-sensitive consignments where the higher cost is justified by speed.

Rail and road freight in Guinea-Bissau is centered on road links, as the listed seaports at Bissau and Rio Cacheu have no rail connections. Goods move by truck between inland origins and these coastal ports for import and export.

Guinea-Bissau shares road borders with Guinea over about 421 km and Senegal over about 341 km. These corridors support regional overland trade, especially within ECOWAS, and connect to neighboring logistics systems for both imports and exports.

Customs clearance in Guinea-Bissau operates within a WTO member state that also belongs to ECOWAS and the AU. The country has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 2010. The average applied tariff was about 11.7 percent in 2022, which shapes duty costs for most traded goods.

The logistics performance index customs score was about 2.7 in 2022, slightly above the world median of 2.6. For smooth processing, shippers should ensure accurate commercial invoices, packing lists and transport documents for exports of cashews and seafood and imports from partners such as Senegal, Portugal and China.