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HMG INTERNATIONAL Start an order
Destinations
East Africa Kenya ACD Djibouti ECTN Somalia ECTN South Sudan ECTN Burundi ECTN Madagascar BSC Central Africa D.R. Congo FERI Cameroon BESC Gabon BIETC Chad ECTN Rep. Congo ECTN Angola CNCA Eq. Guinea ECTN C.A.R. ECTN West Africa Nigeria ICTN Ghana ECTN Ivory Coast BSC Senegal BSC Benin BESC Togo ECTN Mali BSC Niger BSC Burkina Faso ECTN Liberia CTN Sierra Leone BSC The Gambia CTN Guinea ECTN Guinea Bissau CEE North Africa Egypt ACID Algeria ECTN Libya ECTN All services
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Certificates cleared before you sail.

ECTN, FERI, BESC, BSC, CNCA, ICTN and ACD for thirty-one African destinations, filed against your loading date and validated before the container moves.

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0Destinations
0Certificate systems
0Typical issuance
Filed before loading
24–48 hrs
Typical issuance
Coverage
31 destinations
All of Africa

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Send your documents and we will return a validated certificate before loading.

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1

Customer Details

2

Build Order

3

Review & Submit

Step 1: Your Information

Step 2: Build Your Order

Step 3: Review & Submit

Required Documents

Attention

One instrument,
many names.

Most African states require an electronic cargo declaration filed before loading, not on arrival. The reference number is endorsed on the Bill of Lading and checked at destination.

ECTN

Used across 14 countries

 FERI

D.R. Congo

 BESC

Cameroon, Benin

 BSC

Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone

 CNCA

Angola

 ICTN

Nigeria

 CTN

Liberia, The Gambia

 BIETC

Gabon

 CEE

Guinea Bissau

 ACID

Egypt

 ACD

Kenya

Choose your
destination

Requirements, documents and deadlines for all thirty-one.

Four stages.
Two are yours.

The whole sequence runs before your container is loaded.

1
You

Send documents

Draft B/L, commercial invoice, freight invoice and export declaration.

2
HMG

We verify and file

Checked against destination rules before submission, so it is not rejected on a detail.

3
You

Approve the draft

You see the draft before payment. Corrections cost nothing at this stage.

4
HMG

Certificate issued

Validated PDF and reference number for your final Bill of Lading.

Four core documents,
plus what your destination adds

Every certificate starts from the same four. Some countries ask for more, and the exact list is on each destination page.

  
 
You receive
Advance Cargo DeclarationIssued electronically as PDF
Reference numberACDKE 2026 ••••••Goes on your final B/L
DestinationMombasa, KenyaPort of discharge
StatusValidatedAccepted by the authority
Endorse the reference on the Bill of Lading before the container is loaded.

Thirty years in
African freight

HMG International was founded in 1996 by Abdul Hameed Paracha as a freight forwarder in Karachi. Today, with the founder and the second generation working side by side, it does one thing: cargo certification.

1996Founded in Karachi

Established by Abdul Hameed Paracha, specialising in freight forwarding and consolidation.

2003Exclusive Demco partnership

A long-standing agency relationship built on consistent service.

2007Tandem Global Logistics

After Maersk acquired Demco, Mr Paracha co-founded the Tandem Global Logistics Network. HMG's forwarding division became Tandem Global Logistics Pakistan.

TodayCertification specialists

Founder and second generation working together, focused entirely on cargo certification for African trade.

01

Filed before loading

Deadlines are the entire job. Certificates are filed against your loading date, never your arrival date.

02

31 countries, one contact

No hunting for a local agent in each destination, and no separate account for every certificate system.

03

Draft before you pay

Check every field on the draft first. Only then does it go for validation and invoicing.

What changed
this month.

All updates
HMG International project cargo handling in Africa
general 18 Nov 2024

HMG International: Your Trusted Partner for Project Cargo Handling in Africa

HMG International: Your Trusted Partner for Project Cargo Handling in Africa Transporting project cargo—oversized, heavy, and highly specialized shipments—is no ordinary task.…
ECTN, FERI and ARCCLA certification for African trade
general 28 Jul 2024

FERI Demystified: Navigating Import Regulations in the Democratic Republic of Congo

FERI Demystified: Navigating Import Regulations in the Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plays a vital role in…
International freight and shipping documentation services
general 31 May 2024

Streamlining African Trade: The Crucial Role of ECTN, FERI, and ARCCLA Certifications

Streamlining African Trade: The Crucial Role of ECTN, FERI, and ARCCLA Certifications Navigating the complexities of international trade, especially in Africa, can…

Common questions

Which African countries require a cargo tracking note?
Thirty-one destinations: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, D.R. Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan and Togo.
What is the difference between ECTN, FERI and BESC?
The same instrument under different national names. ECTN is the generic English term; FERI is used in the D.R. Congo, BESC in Cameroon and Benin, BSC across six West African and Indian Ocean states, CNCA in Angola, ICTN in Nigeria and ACD in Kenya.
When must the certificate be obtained?
Before the cargo is loaded at origin. Most authorities require the reference number on the final Bill of Lading, and several now instruct carriers to verify it before loading.
What documents do I need?
Four documents cover most destinations: draft Bill of Lading, commercial invoice, freight invoice and export customs declaration. Some countries also require a packing list, certificate of origin, container numbers or HS codes.
What happens if cargo ships without one?
The container may be refused loading at origin, or held at destination until the declaration is regularised. Penalties are commonly a multiple of the certificate fee, and demurrage accrues daily.