My name is Ryo Sakamoto from KiliMOL. Last time Mikio Oyama (CEO of KiliMOL) posted an article, so this time I will write a blog article about the process followed in Japan after the purchase of agricultural machinery by customers up until their export.
However, let me begin by telling you a little about my background with MOL. After graduating from university in 2017, I joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., and worked as a sales representative in the Car Carrier Division for about 4 years. In 2021, I was assigned to a different department within the company and put in charge of the practical operations of KiliMOL LTD.
Securing Stock and Maintenance
First of all, after you make a purchase on the KiliMOL website, Karasawa Agricultural Machinery Service, which has a business alliance with KiliMOL, will take steps to secure the stock. Karasawa Agricultural Machinery Service operates one of the largest web platforms in Japan, "Noukinavi", as a broker for agricultural machinery, and KiliMOL shares the stock listed on Noukinavi.
Once the requested machinery has been found, it will receive maintenance and then be transported by land to a location near the port. In order to meet the expectations of customers for high quality Japanese products, it is essential to prepare them before exporting.
(Maintenance of Rice Transplanting Machines)
Document Preparation
While the maintenance and transportation is being carried out, KiliMOL will start preparations for the import and export phases. If you want to export something to Kenya, not just agricultural machinery, you need to obtain an Import Declaration Form (IDF), which acts as an export permit.
Pre-shipment Inspection
We arrange a pre-export inspection after the land transportation has finished and the documents are ready. When exporting to Kenya, it is important to undergo a pre-export inspection by a specialist, with the inspection content varying depending on the item. In the case of agricultural machinery, checks are made as to whether the engine can be turned on, whether the oil pressure works properly, whether the export documents are properly applied, etc.
Shipment by Vessel
If the inspection is passed safely, the next step is custom clearance and loading onto the vessel.
As of November 2021, our products are transported from Japan to the Kenyan port of Mombasa by a Mitsui O.S.K. Lines car carrier. Agricultural machinery can be driven onto the vessel without packing. Once lashing of the machinery onto the vessel’s deck is done the loading operation is completed.
A car carrier vessel is designed to transport all types of self-propelled cargo, from ordinary passenger cars to construction machinery, and can transport more than 6,000 small sized passenger cars at a time. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines offers a service of two vessels a month to East Africa and is therefore able to regularly transport products from Japan.
(Shipment photo taken in December 2020)
Once the loading is done, the voyage through various ports of Japan and Singapore should be completed within a month to a month and a half until arrival at the port of Mombasa.
We are planning to hold a demonstration and sales meeting for rice transplanters in Kenya in February 2022, and are currently preparing to export agricultural machinery and materials for use in this event. This will be the first time for me to visit Africa, and I am very much looking forward to seeing first-hand the situation there. Details of the demonstration will be posted on KiliMOL's Twitter and Facebook pages, so please follow them and check the latest information.
(Set of rice transplanters to be exported next time)
【KiliMOL SNS Account】
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KiliMOL.Africa/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kili_mol
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyQ3skScvSIHA1-fStP346Q
Thank you for reading until the end.