All shipments destined for Cotonou Port including cargo in transit to neighboring hinterland countries require a mandatory BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons) certificate. This regulation applies to all cargo, regardless of type, value, or origin.
Compliance Check List:
Timing: Secure your certificate before arrival of the vessel.
Risk: Non-compliance leads to heavy fines and customs delays.
Amendment after validation: accepted, amendment fee applies.
Protect your supply chain and prevent costly delays by submitting your high-resolution PDF documents (under 2MB per file) to the Pelship Team today for expert drafting and compliance validation.
Regulations:
- The BESC should be issued as a validated one before vessel's arrival at POD.
- Amendment after validation is accepted, provided authorities approve it. Amendment fee is imposed after validation.
- For RORO /LOLO vessels the loading of vehicles that are not covered by an Electronic Cargo Tracking Note is a violation of regulations that obliges the importer not only to create an ECTN online upon the arrival of the goods, but which also results in a penalty payable to the National Shippers Council of Benin before the vehicle can be transferred to the sales park. The amount of this penalty is fifty thousand (50 000) CFA per vehicle.
- Shipment Classification: Vehicles loaded in containers must be declared as containerized cargo with all container references clearly stated on the Bill of Lading; otherwise, the ECTN must be issued specifically for RoRo shipments.
- Dual-Certification Requirement: Shipments discharged at Cotonou in transit to landlocked countries (e.g., Burkina Faso, Niger) mandate two separate certificates: a BESC/ECTN for Benin and a BSC/ECTN for the final destination country.
- The BESC is a mandatory document for customs clearance of cargo. With the exception of floating cargo, any cargo arriving in the Port of Cotonou without a validated Electronic Cargo Tracking Note cannot be cleared prior to an ECTN being created and validated by recognized parties such as Pelship Offshore at the port of loading.