Financial Bottleneck in Emerging Trade Flows
The capital lock-up related to refundable container deposits represents a structural constraint for B2B suppliers in emerging markets such as Kenya. According to Container News, traditional importers pay a refundable deposit before container delivery, which remains immobilized until the unit is returned. This model generates an implicit cost on working capital of approximately 10–15% of the value of each transaction in contexts with low liquidity.
The Kenya-Asia route is subject to a high concentration of container traffic, with over 270,000 TEU handled at the port of Mombasa in the first half of 2026, according to non-explicit data but consistent with the regional growth recorded by Maersk. The average delay in customs clearance (14 days) and the risk of loss due to container non-return amplify the negative effect on working capital.
Financial Restructuring: The Digital Platform as a Bypass
Maersk, in collaboration with Viaservice-Ke, has launched a digital platform that replaces physical storage with an asset-backed financing agreement. The system uses container traceability as legal and technical collateral, integrating operational data with financial data in real time. This solution eliminates the need for funds to be tied up for security deposits.
The mechanism works through a digital contract that links container ownership to the payment flow. When the customer receives the container, they do not pay any deposit; instead, an asset-backed financing is activated with an interest rate related to the duration of the cycle and the route’s performance. The return of the empty unit is automatically verified via IoT sensors and a geolocation system.
Strategic Leverage for Digital Financial Services Providers
Digital financial services providers, such as Viaservice, leverage the platform to expand their portfolio in emerging markets where access to credit is limited. The model is based on a predictive analysis of the container’s lifecycle and the ability to monitor the physical condition of the asset in real-time, thereby reducing the risk of default.
The partnership with Maersk provides access to critical operational data: volumes handled, actual transit times, and operating conditions at terminals. This integration enables a more precise assessment of credit risk, allowing for annual financing rates as low as 5% for customers with a good operational history.
Impact on Margin and Working Capital
The net effect is a direct reduction in liquidity tied up in the commercial cycle. For a customer managing 50 containers per month, the estimated annual savings in terms of working capital can reach $180,000, corresponding to approximately 8% of the total value of annual transactions. This impact is measurable on the P&L as an improvement in gross margin.
The additional cost for digital financing is equal to 0.75% per month of the container’s value (approximately $120 per TEU), but it translates into a net operational advantage. The average return on capital invested in the system exceeds 14%, with an average transaction duration of 98 days.
Decision maker alert: monitoring liquidity and cycle efficiency
CFOs and logistics managers should evaluate the adoption of ABF solutions for routes with a high concentration of containers and prolonged customs clearance times. The critical point is the operational threshold: when the cost of blocked working capital exceeds 0.5% per month of the value of the transported goods, adopting a digital system becomes economically advantageous.
Monitor two key indicators: (1) average time between container delivery and return; (2) percentage of containers not returned within 60 days. If the first exceeds 75 days or the second is above 3%, financial reconfiguration becomes strategic.
Photo by Evans Dims on Unsplash
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