Customs Suspends Container Transfer to 103 Bonded Facilities, FTZ’s
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Nigeria Customs Service has ordered the immediate suspension of transire processing for 103 bonded terminals, warehouses and free trade zones across the country over outstanding transactions that have yet to be reconciled.
The directive is contained in a circular dated September 22, 2026, addressed to all Customs Area Controllers (CACs) and signed by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, DCG Timi Bomodi.
The circular obtained by DAILY TREND is Titled “Immediate Suspension of Transire Processing to Bonded Warehouses and Free Trade Zones with Outstanding Transire Reconciliation” affects major facilities including ICNL, Denca, Clarion, Don Climax, FANO, Fortune Global, Emma Cargo, Jaelith, Chrismatel, AGL and AML, among others.
A transire is the document that authorises the movement of cargo from the port to a bonded facility.
According to the circular, the move follows the ongoing verification and reconciliation exercise by the CGC Special Task Force on Transires (STFT).
The task force identified a number of bonded warehouses and free trade zones with outstanding transire transactions, covering duty and transire positions across the relevant operational zones, which require full reconciliation.
The CACs were directed to stop the affected facilities from processing, initiating or obtaining approval for any further transire applications until their outstanding transactions have been fully reconciled and formally cleared by the STFT.
The circular also closes the door on exceptions. It stated that “no waiver, local clearance, exceptional approval or administrative discretion shall be exercised by any Command in favour of an affected bonded warehouse while its reconciliation remains outstanding.”
According to the customs, transire processing privileges will be restored only on written confirmation from Headquarters that the facility has satisfactorily concluded the reconciliation exercise with the STFT.
All the customs area controllers were further ordered to notify all relevant officers, terminals and bonded warehouse units within their areas of responsibility, and to put in place appropriate system and operational controls to give effect to the directive.
—See full list of affected bonded warehouses, FTZ’s below
