Overview
The BSC — Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons — is the electronic cargo tracking note required for sea shipments to Ivory Coast, which discharge at Abidjan and San Pedro. It ties the shipper, consignee, cargo and freight values on your Bill of Lading to a single reference that customs can reconcile before the cargo is worked. Filing deadline: Validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives. Cargo that only passes through on its way to a landlocked neighbour is treated as in-transit and still needs a certificate, so the routing has to be documented from the start.
Discharge ports
Required documents
Official BSC Document Sample
Verify the layout, stamps, and BSC customs format of a validated Ivory Coast loading certificate:
Application process
- 1SubmitSend your Bill of Lading and Commercial Invoice, with the Freight Invoice if freight is not shown on the commercial invoice.
- 2Draft & invoiceWe prepare a draft certificate and a fixed-price invoice within 1 hour on average.
- 3ApproveYou review the draft and confirm every detail before anything is filed.
- 4PaymentThe fixed-price invoice is settled so the file can go forward for validation.
- 5ValidateThe certificate is validated and the final BSC number is confirmed.
Timeline
| Step | Duration |
|---|---|
| Submit documents | Your action |
| Draft & invoice | 1 hour on average |
| Approve draft | Your action |
| Payment | Your action |
Special rules & HS codes
Rule 1
The BSC number can be supplied before validation.
Rule 2
The consignee must be registered on the Ivory Coast website before the BSC can be validated.
Rule 3
The FDI number must match between the FDI and Certificate of Insurance.
Rule 4
Printing the BSC number on the Master Bill of Lading is not required by the authority, but individual carriers may ask for it.
Official sources
Official Ivory Coast BSC sources
The Ivory Coast BSC is run by the Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (OIC).
- AIP (12 Sep 2025): OIC on the BSC, run electronically since 2005
- OIC BSC portal: imports and exports, Abidjan and San Pedro
accessed
Top 3 causes of Ivory Coast BSC rejection
- Missing FDI (Fiche de Déclaration à l'Importation) document or number mismatch.
- Commercial Invoice lacks exporter's official stamp or signature.
- Freight invoice value does not match shipping line quotes.
Case study: Ivory Coast BSC (ECTN) Document Amendment Process: An Alexandria–Abidjan Case Study
Specific questions: Ivory Coast
Is the Côte d’Ivoire BSC the same as the Ivory Coast ECTN?
Yes. The Côte d’Ivoire BSC, the Ivory Coast BSC certificate and the Ivory Coast ECTN all mean the Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons issued through the OIC; BSC is the name printed on the certificate.
What is the FDI for an Ivory Coast BSC?
The FDI (Fiche de Déclaration à l’Importation) is the importer’s import declaration form in Côte d’Ivoire. The importer obtains it, together with a local insurance certificate, and both are part of the BSC file.
Latest updates: Ivory Coast
A complete guide to the FDI — the Import Declaration form used for shipments to Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast): what it is, what it contains, how it links to the BSC, a sample specimen, and the mistakes that get it rejected.
Frequently asked questions
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