A 20ft container of coconut shisha charcoal (about $32,417 landed) sold through in 60 days at a 35% margin returns roughly 53.8% per cycle and about 231.2% annualized, with payback in about 85 days. Faster sell-through multiplies the annualized return by turning the same capital more often.
A 20ft container of coconut shisha charcoal sold through in 60 days at a 35% margin returns about 53.8% per cycle and roughly 231.2% annualized (verified 15 July 2026; illustrative).
At a 35% margin the per-cycle ROI is fixed at about 53.8%; payback and annualized return depend on how fast inventory sells through (verified 15 July 2026).
Cash cycle is transit plus sell-through — about 85 days for a 60-day sell-through on a 25-day lane, giving roughly 4.3 inventory turns a year (verified 15 July 2026).
| Sell-through | ROI / cycle | Turns / yr | Payback | Annualized ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 53.8% | 6.6 | 55 days | 357.3% |
| 60 days | 53.8% | 4.3 | 85 days | 231.2% |
| 90 days | 53.8% | 3.2 | 115 days | 170.9% |
| 120 days | 53.8% | 2.5 | 145 days | 135.5% |
ROI per cycle is fixed by the margin; faster sell-through raises turns and annualized ROI. Capital = $32,417 landed; excludes storage, financing and breakage.
How this is calculated
Gross profit is revenue at full sell-through minus the landed capital; ROI per cycle is gross profit over capital. The cash cycle is ocean transit plus sell-through days; annual turns are 365 divided by the cycle, and annualized ROI is per-cycle ROI times turns. Payback at full sell-through equals the cash cycle.
The per-cycle return is set entirely by the margin — 53.8% at 35% here — so the lever that matters for annual performance is sell-through speed, which multiplies how many times the same capital works in a year. Figures are illustrative and exclude storage, financing, breakage and marketing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ROI on importing a container of coconut charcoal?
At a 35% margin, an 18 t container returns about 53.8% gross per cycle. Sold through in 60 days on a 25-day lane that is roughly 231.2% annualized, before operating costs.
How fast does a charcoal container pay back?
Payback at full sell-through equals the cash cycle — transit plus sell-through days. For a 60-day sell-through on a 25-day lane, that is about 85 days.
Model your return and payback
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Last verified 15 July 2026. Figures are illustrative industry ranges, not quotes — verify before relying on them. Freight and the US–Indonesia tariff change most often.
