Africa ECTN
An electronic cargo tracking note required by several African customs authorities: one per bill of lading, with the number shown on the B/L and manifest.
What is Africa ECTN?
ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note) is an electronic document required by several African customs authorities to track cargo from the port of loading to destination.
ECTN works on a one-note-per-bill-of-lading basis: the certificate number must appear on the bill of lading and the manifest. Missing documentation or mismatched details can lead to detention and fines at destination.
The scheme has different names by country — BESC (Cameroon, Gabon), BIETC (Guinea), FERI (DR Congo), ACD (Kenya) — but the logic is the same: complete it before the vessel sails.
Applicable products
- All shipments to participating African countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Cameroon and others)
Applicable countries
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Gabon
- Cameroon
- Benin
- Togo
- Senegal
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Mali
- Niger
- Chad
- Central African Republic
- Congo (Brazzaville)
- Burundi
- Equatorial Guinea
- South Sudan
- Libya
Application process
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01
Apply after booking confirmation
Provide the draft bill of lading, invoice and packing list, and confirm the destination country and document type.
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02
Document review and numbering
We check description, HS code, value, ports and other details, enter them into the destination system and generate the ECTN number.
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03
Show the number on the B/L
Enter the ECTN number in the relevant fields of the bill of lading and manifest so it matches the certificate exactly.
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04
Validation before arrival
Destination customs validates the record and releases the cargo; corrections must be made before the cut-off.
Required documents
- Copy of the bill of lading or booking confirmation (vessel, voyage, ports)
- Commercial invoice (value, Incoterm, HS code)
- Packing list (packages, gross weight, volume)
- Customs declaration or export cargo details
- Full names, addresses and contacts of exporter and importer
- Freight amount (listed separately for some countries)
FAQ
When should ECTN be arranged?
After booking confirmation and before shipment. Most countries require the number before departure and validation before arrival.
Can the certificate be issued before documents are final?
A number can be issued against the draft B/L, but the certificate must match the final B/L. Amendments after cut-off usually incur fees.
What happens if details differ from the B/L?
Validation at destination fails and cargo may be detained with penalties; re-application or amendment costs far more than doing it right the first time.
Can one ECTN cover multiple bills of lading?
No. ECTN is issued per bill of lading.
Send the product name, model and destination country and our consultant will map the certification route and quote.
Related compliance documents
Application forms, contracts and procedure documents are available for free in the client center
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