Nairobi, Jan. 23 -- Shipping cost from China has dropped by over half on the back of the availability of empty containers and the low demand for goods in the global market, reversing historic freight charges witnessed in the last two years.

The shipping cost of a 40-foot container to Kenya has now dropped to a low of $3,500 from a high of $7,000 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, coming as a major relief to consumers as this will have a direct impact on prices of imported goods.

In December, a 40-foot container was going at $4,000 but has dropped to the current lows of $3,500.

Shippers and traders say there are more empty shipping containers in circulation, reversing a crisis that was witnessed in the last two years where it was h...