In addition to the controls to be carried out before shipping goods to Africa, there is also what is called a ECTN.
This is a compulsory documentary formality for which a fee is set directly by organizations and only for goods shipped by sea.
It is the responsibility of the exporter or his representative to complete this formality.
What is the ECTN?
It is an electronic document that contains a certain amount of mandatory information:
- the name of the vessel and the shipowner
- the description of the goods
- the country of origin and the country of destination of the goods
- the port of embarkation and disembarkation
- name and address of the shipper and consignee
- volume/weight of the goods
- paying units
- cost of transportation
It is commonly referred to as a ECTN, but can be found under various names:
- BESC / BSC = Bordereau (Electronique) de Suivi Cargaison (FR)
- ECTN / CTN = (Electronic) Cargo Tracking Notice (EN)
- BIETC = Bordereau d'Identification Electronique de Traçabilité des Cargaisons (Gabon)
- FERI = Fiche Électronique des Renseignements à l'Importation (DRC)
- Waiver
💡 Did you know?
Some countries like Nigeria, Libya or Equatorial Guinea do not require this formality to be done. Madagascar is one of the only countries that requires a ECTN to be issued for both sea and air shipments.
Who should take care of it and how to establish it?
In general, it is the freight forwarder to edit it, but it is recommended to always inquire with the recipient if he can not or does not want to take care of it.
We can make them with different organizations selected directly and legally by the African countries, some of them manage several destinations like Antaser.
They adjust themselves the tariffs applied for the edition of the document according to the mode of maritime transport and the number of containers.
The CGS can be prepared prior to the ship's departure, but it must be validated upon confirmation of the ship's departure. This avoids any additional modification costs in the case of a postponement of departure or change of vessel.
What happens if I do not have a ECTN?
Any cargo not accompanied by the ECTN constitutes a violation of the regulations in force in the country. The goods risk being blocked and penalties are also applied at destination.
