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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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ECTN 14 destinations Filed before loading

ECTN certificate

The most widely used cargo declaration in African trade, required before loading across a dozen destinations.

24–48 hrsTypical issuance
0Destinations
0Ports covered
4Core documents

What is an ECTN?

An Electronic Cargo Tracking Note is a declaration filed with the destination country's authorities before your cargo is loaded, not on arrival. It records what is being shipped, by whom, from where, and at what declared value. ECTN is the generic English term; several countries run the same system under a national name.

Customs authorities use the data to assess duty, check declared values against the commercial invoice, and flag shipments for inspection. Because the declaration exists before the vessel sails, the destination has the information in hand when the container arrives rather than weeks later.

Full name: Electronic Cargo Tracking Note. The reference number must be endorsed on the final Bill of Lading before the container is loaded.
Naming

ECTN under other names

ARCCLA

Algeria

SPN

Ghana, issued as a Shippers Provisional Note

URN

Burkina Faso, a Unique Reference Number

Questions

ECTN FAQs

Is an ECTN the same as a BSC or FERI?
Functionally yes. ECTN is the generic English term; BSC is used across francophone West Africa, FERI in the Democratic Republic of Congo, BESC in Cameroon and Benin. The requirement, the documents and the timing are equivalent, but each is issued by its own national authority and one cannot be substituted for another.
Who applies for it, the shipper or the importer?
The shipper, exporter or their freight forwarder, at the port of loading, before the container is loaded. An importer at destination cannot obtain one retrospectively without penalty.
How long is an ECTN valid?
It is issued against a specific shipment and Bill of Lading, so it does not expire in the usual sense. It becomes invalid if the shipment details change: amended container numbers, a changed vessel or a revised invoice value all require the declaration to be corrected before arrival.
What happens if cargo ships without one?
The container may be refused loading at origin. On arrival, cargo is typically held until the declaration is regularised, and penalties are commonly assessed as a multiple of the certificate fee. Demurrage accrues daily while the cargo sits.
Coverage

Countries requiring an ECTN

Each has its own documents and deadlines. Open a destination for the detail.

Djibouti Djibouti Djibouti ECTN Somalia Somalia Mogadishu +3 ECTN South Sudan South Sudan via Mombasa +1 ECTN Burundi Burundi Bujumbura +1 ECTN Chad Chad via Douala ECTN Rep. Congo Rep. Congo Pointe-Noire ECTN Eq. Guinea Eq. Guinea Malabo +1 ECTN C.A.R. C.A.R. via Douala ECTN Ghana Ghana Tema +1 ECTN Togo Togo Lome ECTN Burkina Faso Burkina Faso via Lome +1 ECTN Guinea Guinea Conakry ECTN Algeria Algeria Algiers +4 ECTN Libya Libya Tripoli +3 ECTN
Requirements

Documents required

Every ECTN starts from the same four documents. Some destinations ask for more — the panel cycles through each country.

  
 
 Issued electronically as PDF
Reference number Goes on your final B/L
Destination Port of discharge
StatusValidatedAccepted by the authority
Endorse the reference on the Bill of Lading before the container is loaded.

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