Koridor User Guide

Koridor is a free AI-powered trade assistant for freight forwarders operating in African, South American, and Central American corridors. It works entirely through WhatsApp — no app to download, no account to create, no forms to fill out. Send a commercial invoice and get your HS codes, duty estimates, and document checklist in under 30 seconds.

Koridor supports 8 languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Arabic, Amharic, and Hausa.

How to start:

1. Save this WhatsApp number: +1 (555) 951-9978
2. Open WhatsApp and send a message — say hello, or send an invoice photo to jump straight in
3. You can also just type a product name — like ‘brake pads’ or ‘classify coffee beans’ — and get an instant HS code
4. Choose your preferred language
5. That’s it. No signup, no verification, no trial period. Every feature is free.

Koridor’s core feature. Send a commercial invoice and get back HS codes, duty estimates, restricted goods warnings, pre-shipment inspection requirements, and a full document checklist.

Every classification now includes a complete cost picture: HS codes with duty rates from official EAC Gazette publications, origin port charges (with full breakdowns for Shanghai, Mumbai, Dubai, Guangzhou, and Istanbul), destination port charges, inland transport costs for landlocked destinations (Nairobi ICD and Kampala ICD), pre-shipment inspection requirements, and CO&sub2; emissions estimates.

Accepted formats: phone photo, PDF, typed text, voice note.

After the short summary:

• Reply MORE for full details (quantities, values, duty calculations, documents, PSI)
• Reply WHY for classification basis (how each HS code was determined)
• Reply DOCS to generate trade documents
• Reply TRACK to link a container

Tips: Camera photos work better than screenshots. For multi-page invoices, send each page separately.

You do not need a full commercial invoice to get an HS code. Koridor accepts four types of quick classification input:

Just type the product name. Send any product description and Koridor classifies it instantly.

Examples: ‘automotive battery 12V’, ‘dried hibiscus flowers’, ‘Portland cement bags’

Use the classify command. Type ‘classify’ followed by the product, optionally with a destination.

Examples: ‘classify brake pads’, ‘classify solar panels to Kenya’, ‘what is the HS code for canned tuna’

Send a numbered list. If you are checking multiple products, number them.

Examples: ‘1. Car side mirrors’, ‘2. Ceramic floor tiles’, ‘3. Motorcycle helmets’

Ask naturally. Koridor understands natural questions about codes.

Examples: ‘what tariff code for roasted coffee’, ‘what is the HS code for palm oil refined’

When no destination country is provided, Koridor returns the 6-digit international HS code and asks one follow-up question: ‘Reply with the destination country for duty rates, documents, and inspection requirements.’ Once you provide the destination, you get the full picture: EAC 8-digit code, gazetted duty rate, required documents, port charges, and inspection requirements.

If the description is too vague (like ‘spare parts’ or ‘electronics’), Koridor asks for more detail with helpful examples instead of guessing.

After any classification, type WHY for a quick summary of how each HS code was determined.

The in-chat WHY gives you 1–2 lines per item: which WCO General Interpretive Rule was applied, which heading or chapter note was determinative, and the confidence level. This is designed for quick reference — check the code basis in seconds.

For the full legal analysis, type WHY PDF. Koridor generates a professional classification report with:

• Complete GIR 1–6 walkthrough for each item
• Section and Chapter Note citations
• WCO Explanatory Note references
• Alternative codes considered and why they were ruled out
• Legal disclaimer

The PDF is formatted for sharing with customs officers, clearing agents, or compliance teams. Each report includes the Koridor reference number, date, and corridor information.

Use it when:

• A customs officer questions a code
• Double-checking before filing a declaration
• Training staff on classification logic
• Building a compliance file for recurring shipments

For shipments to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, or South Sudan, Koridor provides 8-digit codes from the official EAC Common External Tariff 2022 with exact duty rates.

The standard HS code is 6 digits (product category). The EAC extends to 8 digits (exact duty rate at the border). This eliminates the need to look up national subheadings separately.

After classifying an invoice, reply DOCS to generate a packing list, certificate of origin, and customs declaration. Available as WhatsApp messages and downloadable PDFs. Type DOWNLOAD KOR-XXXX to get links again later.

Note: Some fields are estimated from invoice data. Verify dimensions and weights before submission.

After any classification, type EXPORT to download your classification data in a structured CSV format ready for import into customs declaration systems like Kenya’s iCMS, Tanzania’s TANCIS, or any ASYCUDA-based system.

How to use it:

• export — downloads the most recent classification
• export KOR-XXXX — downloads a specific shipment
• export all — downloads all classifications from the last 30 days

You get a link to a preview page showing all your data in a table, plus a Download CSV button. The CSV includes 27 fields matching customs declaration formats: HS codes (both 8-digit dotted and raw digit formats), commodity descriptions, origin/destination country codes, quantities, values, duty rates, tariff references, and seller/buyer details.

A second section in the file lists all required documents for the shipment with their categories (Standard, Commodity-specific, PSI).

Why this matters:

Instead of retyping classification data into your customs system, download the CSV and use it to populate your declaration. This eliminates data entry errors and saves 15–30 minutes per filing.

Upload trade documents at kori-dor.com/check for AI validation against compliance standards and institution-specific rejection patterns. Issues are grouped by severity: Critical, Warning, Suggestion.

Each LC rejection costs $500–$2,000. The checker catches errors before submission.

Send any container number to get real-time vessel position, ETA, port status, and route information. Type TRACK after a classification to link a container to that shipment.

Every classification generates a shareable web link. Anyone can view it — no account needed. The link shows HS codes, duty estimates, classification reasoning, and documents. Share links generate WhatsApp preview cards when pasted into a chat.

Type roo [product] from [origin] to [destination] to check if your goods qualify for preferential tariff rates under EAC, COMESA, SADC, or AfCFTA trade agreements.

Example: roo coffee from Kenya to Uganda

Koridor shows the applicable trade agreement, standard vs preferential rate, estimated savings, origin criteria (wholly obtained, change in tariff heading, or 30% value added), and which certificate of origin you need. For intra-EAC classifications, preferential tariff information appears automatically in the classification output.

Port charges appear automatically on every classification where Koridor recognizes the origin and destination ports. You also get them by typing port mombasa or port dar es salaam (add 40ft for 40-foot container rates).

Origin port charges: For the five busiest ports serving African corridors — Shanghai, Mumbai JNPT, Dubai/Jebel Ali, Guangzhou, and Istanbul — Koridor shows a full breakdown: terminal handling (TEU and FEU), documentation and BL fees, container sealing, VGM weighing, terminal surcharges (including seasonal notes), total estimated charges range, and free storage days. Other origin ports show THC only.

Destination port charges: Mombasa and Dar es Salaam have full breakdowns from published tariff schedules (KPA Tariff 2025 and TPA Revised Tariff 2026): documentation, handling, security, wharfage, storage with free days and overtime rates, and a total estimate.

Inland transport (ICD charges): For landlocked destinations, Koridor automatically adds a third section showing inland transport costs. Nairobi-bound cargo sees SGR rail and road options from Mombasa with ICD handling and storage charges. Kampala-bound cargo sees three route options (via Malaba, Busia, or from Dar es Salaam via Mutukula) with ICD handling, storage, and a note about the URA transit bond requirement.

All port data shows ‘Data as of May 2026’ for transparency. These are published tariff rates — large shippers may have negotiated discounts. The ‘Verify with clearing agent’ note makes this clear.

Koridor estimates the CO&sub2; footprint of every shipment using the GLEC Framework — the same methodology used by DHL, Kuehne+Nagel, and other major logistics companies.

Automatic on most classifications: Emissions appear automatically when Koridor can determine the shipment weight. If your invoice lists weight in kilograms, that is used directly. If your invoice lists quantities in packaging (bags, drums, cartons, coils, bales), Koridor estimates weight from the packaging type and shows the calculation: ‘Weight: ~12,500 kg (est: 500 bags x 25 kg avg)’. For items counted in pieces or sets, weight cannot be estimated and emissions are skipped.

Two vessel classes: Intercontinental sea routes (e.g., Shanghai to Mombasa) use a deep-sea emission factor. Intra-continental and coastal routes (e.g., Durban to Mombasa) use a higher feeder vessel factor. The methodology label shows which was used.

Multimodal routing: For landlocked destinations like Kampala or Kigali, emissions automatically split into sea and road legs with separate calculations for each.

60+ pre-calculated routes: Koridor has actual shipping lane distances for the most common trade corridors serving Africa, including routes via the Suez Canal. Uncovered corridors use a great-circle estimate with a routing multiplier.

You can also calculate emissions directly: type emissions 5000kg road Mombasa to Kampala or just emissions and Koridor walks you through entering the details.

Type alerts to see recent regulatory changes affecting your corridors. Koridor infers relevant countries from your classification history. Type alerts tanzania or alerts kenya to filter by country.

Alerts are tagged by severity (high, medium, low) and cover tariff changes, new requirements, process changes, port closures, and trade agreement updates across EAC, COMESA, and AfCFTA.

Type return maersk mombasa to check the empty container return depot, free days, detention rates, and operating hours for a specific carrier at a port. Covers Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, and PIL at Mombasa and Dar es Salaam.

Return information also appears automatically after container tracking results when the container is arriving at Mombasa or Dar es Salaam.

Type detention to report detention charges on a container. Koridor asks for the container number, whether you were charged, the amount, and the reason for delay. Your data helps build intelligence on real detention costs at EAC ports.

Quick report: detention yes $250 MSKU1234567 or detention no MSKU1234567.

Type practice to get a randomly generated product description and test your HS chapter knowledge. Koridor generates realistic EAC trade commodities and checks your answer against the correct classification.

Difficulty levels:

• practice easy — common products (coffee, tea, rice, cement)
• practice hard — ambiguous products requiring careful analysis
• practice roo — Rules of Origin scenarios (does it qualify for EAC preference?)
• practice chapter 09 — focus on a specific HS chapter

After every 10 quizzes, Koridor shows your score. Use it to train staff on classification fundamentals.

Type focus KOR-XXXX to set a shipment as your active context. All subsequent commands reference that shipment automatically. Type focus to clear and see all active shipments.

Type invite +[phone number] to add colleagues to your company account. All team members see shared shipments. No per-seat fees.

HS Code

Harmonized System code. A 6-digit international product classification maintained by the World Customs Organization. Used by 200+ countries.

EAC CET

East African Community Common External Tariff. The unified 8-digit tariff schedule for EAC member states with specific duty rates.

KOR Reference

Koridor’s shipment tracking number (e.g. KOR-0042). Assigned to every classification for reference and tracking.

PVoC

Pre-export Verification of Conformity. Required by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda for certain imported goods.

PSI

Pre-Shipment Inspection. Physical inspection of goods before export, required by some destination countries.

SONCAP

Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme. Nigeria’s mandatory conformity assessment for regulated products.

Confidence Score

Koridor’s estimate of classification accuracy. HIGH (85%+), MEDIUM (60–84%), LOW (<60%).

Corridor

A specific trade route between two countries (e.g. Nigeria → Netherlands). Koridor tracks 63+ corridors.

WCO

World Customs Organization. Maintains the Harmonized System used for international trade classification.

UCP 600

Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits. ICC rules governing Letters of Credit.

GIR

General Interpretation Rules. The 6 rules in the Harmonized System that govern how goods are classified when the heading descriptions are ambiguous.

ICD

Inland Container Depot. A facility away from the seaport where containers are cleared through customs. Nairobi ICD (Embakasi) and Kampala ICD are the main ICDs for East African landlocked trade.

SGR

Standard Gauge Railway. Kenya’s modern rail line connecting Mombasa port to Nairobi ICD. Faster and cheaper than road for full container loads. Same-day or overnight transit.

GLEC Framework

Global Logistics Emissions Council Framework. The international standard methodology for calculating freight transport emissions, used by Koridor for CO₂ estimates.

CET

Common External Tariff. A unified schedule of duty rates applied by all members of a customs union (like the EAC) on goods imported from outside the union.

• Not a customs broker — does not file declarations or clear goods
• Not legal advice — classifications are informational
• Does not guarantee duty rates — exemptions, preferential agreements, and changes may apply
• Does not replace professional judgment — edge cases need human expertise

• WhatsApp: +1 (555) 951-9978
• Web: kori-dor.com
• Privacy: kori-dor.com/privacy
• Document Checker: kori-dor.com/check
• Email: martin.scanlon@kori-dor.com