CAMEROON – ECTN/BESC

Any cargo, loading or unloading in the Douala or any of the Cameroun ports, whatever the customs procedure, must be covered by an electronic cargo tracking note (BESC/ECTN) validated by the Conseil National des Chargeurs du Cameroun (CNCC) (Cameroon National Shippers Council) or its representative (Ministerial order of the Republic of Cameroon N° 00557 dated on 11 July 2006).

Any cargo not covered by the validated BESC/ECTN constitutes an offence to the regulation in force in Cameroon; penalties will therefore be systematically applied at destination.

According to Cameroon National Shipper’s Council, Press Release dated of April 23rd, 2019 and keeping with the provisions of Article 10 (new) of Order No. 000289/MINT of 5 March 2007 to institute the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note, all business persons should contact CNSC’s representatives in the geographical areas of the Port / country of loading for the establishment of ECTN for import no later than 2 (two) days prior to the arrival of the ship carrying their cargo.

Cameroon National Shippers Council has introduced the E-Authentication system for the ECTN (BESC) in 2022. If the ECTN is submitted only in the last 2 days before the arrival or after arrival, then the ECTN will have a new status where the exporters’ duty is completed but the importer still has to go to the CNCC office in Douala to pay a penalty to get the document authenticated.

Please be aware Cameroon no longer allows corrections after the final validation.