Benin Customs Clearance Certificate---BESC Introduction

BESC is a mandatory loading document for all goods shipped to Benin. It is needed in Cotonou or any other port. It is also known as CTN and BSC. It was enacted as a regulation by Benin customs authorities in 2006 and failure to submit BESC documents will have to face severe consequences and hefty fines.

Ports where Benin ECTN/BESC numbers need to be processed: Benin ECTN, Cotonou ECTN, Benin BESC, Cotonou BESC.

Benin BESC application documents

● Application form;

● Bill of Lading – Draft copy available for draft;

● Commercial invoice;

● Freight Invoice – This is required if the freight is not on the commercial invoice;

● Export declaration – if not cross-trade, all documents must have the same details;

● Packing list – details must be the same as the commercial invoice;

Benin ECTN/BESC application process

1. Send the application documents to our company in accordance with the above requirements;

2. After our company receives your application documents, we will calculate the cost of the ECTN ticket based on the information provided by your company. After confirming the payment method with your company, we will issue the fee details according to the payment method and arrange payment for your company;

3. Our operators will review the information provided by your company, and guide and modify the documents that do not meet the requirements. After the documents are correct, ECTN DRAFT will be produced based on the information provided by your company for your company's confirmation;

4. After receiving the original bill of lading, our company will upload it to the system and submit it to the destination port approval agency for final review and approval. The normal approval time limit for the destination port approval agency is 2-3 working days;

5. After the ECTN is approved, our company will send the original approved ECTN certificate to your company via email (electronic certificate), and forward it to the consignee for customs clearance at the port of destination;

Precautions:

● Each bill of lading requires at least one BESC tracking order;

● Container: Only one bill of lading can be issued for each BESC tracking order (no limit on the number of containers);

● Bulk cargo: Each BESC tracking order can only be issued to one bill of lading (no weight limit);

● Rolling cart: Each BESC tracking order can only be issued to one rolling cart;

● Benin ECTN must be completed within 8 days after the ship sails, and double fines will be charged at the destination port if the delay is exceeded;

Benin ECTN/BESC processing fees

Benin ECTN charging standard is based on the transportation mode of each shipment of goods, as well as the container type, container volume, product name, specific number of pieces, and gross weight submitted under a bill of lading to comprehensively calculate the cost of each Benin ECTN shipment.

Benin BESC regulatory requirements

● According to Benin Customs regulations, all goods from Benin must be accompanied by a BESC certificate;

● The BESC certificate must be verified by an agent designated by the country of origin before the ship is discharged to Benin;

● Goods without BESC or with false information on BESC will be charged a large amount of fees stipulated by the Benin National Port Authority;

● Please note that we have received confirmation from the Benecia authorities that for vehicles in containers, the cargo type must be "container";

This only applies to vehicles inside a container, so the container number is clearly mentioned in the document.

For these types of situations, be sure to add the vehicle's chassis number to the cargo details area.

Of course, vehicles not loaded into containers should be provided with cargo type "Ro-Ro".

Description of Benin BESC certificate

● Chargers must require a BESC  certificate before loading goods;

● All BESC must be verified 5 days after journey departure;

● If the BSC fails to submit the certificate, the goods will not be cleared and returned to the original location;

● If a transporter loads cargo into Benin without a draft BIETC reference number, he will be subject to a penalty of 100% of the freight manifest value for non-compliance with Beninese law;