# Luanda (AO LAD)

**UN/LOCODE:** AO LAD  
**Country:** Angola  
**Water Body:** South Atlantic Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Small  
**Harbor Type:** Coastal (Natural)  
**GPS:** -8.8000, 13.2500

Roughly 76 percent of Angola's containerised and general cargo moves across the quays of Luanda, the country's dominant seaport on the South Atlantic. National container throughput reached about 677,000 TEU in 2022, almost all of it via this multipurpose harbour on Luanda Bay. Since 2024 the terminal has been under an AD Ports concession, backed by more than 250 million USD in modernisation, three new ship-to-shore cranes and eight hybrid rubber-tyred gantries. The upgrade targets a rise in container capacity from 25,000 to 350,000 TEU plus over 40,000 RoRo units per year, with capability for Super Post-Panamax vessels of up to 14,000 TEU. For forwarders, Luanda is the primary entry point for consumer goods, project cargo and vehicles bound for Angola, while exports lean heavily on the oil and commodities sector. Customs clearance runs through Angola's AGT authority and is document-heavy in practice, so engaging a local agent is standard. Inland distribution relies mainly on road haulage and the Luanda–Malanje railway. Lobito, with its deep-water terminal and the Lobito Corridor, and Namibe further south are the realistic alternatives for Angola-bound freight.

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/luanda-port-ao-lad](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/luanda-port-ao-lad)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/luanda-port-ao-lad](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/luanda-port-ao-lad)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/luanda-port-ao-lad/llm-summary?lang=en*