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Comprehensive Guide

Mali BESC Certificate — The Complete Guide

Last updated: August 4, 2026

The BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons) is required for sea shipments to Mali, discharging at Bamako (Dry Port via Dakar). This guide covers the documents you need, how the filing runs, and the country-specific rules that decide whether the certificate validates on the first attempt.

Start your certificateSee the country rules

Overview

The BESC — Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons — is the electronic cargo tracking note required for sea shipments to Mali, which discharge at Bamako (Dry Port via Dakar). 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 before the vessel reaches the port of discharge.

Discharge ports

Bamako (Dry Port via Dakar)

Required documents

Bill of Lading
Draft or final; weights, seals and discharge port must match the cargo.
Commercial Invoice
Goods and declared values as shipped.
Freight Invoice
Required when freight is not shown on the commercial invoice.

Official BESC Document Sample

Verify the layout, stamps, and BESC customs format of a validated Mali loading certificate:

Official Mali BESC sample document
Sample Draft

Application process

  1. 1
    Submit
    Send your Bill of Lading and Commercial Invoice, with the Freight Invoice if freight is not shown on the commercial invoice.
  2. 2
    Draft & invoice
    We prepare a draft certificate and a fixed-price invoice within 1 hour on average.
  3. 3
    Approve
    You review the draft and confirm every detail before anything is filed.
  4. 4
    Payment
    The fixed-price invoice is settled so the file can go forward for validation.
  5. 5
    Validate
    The certificate is validated and the final BESC number is confirmed.

Timeline

StepDuration
Submit documentsYour action
Draft & invoice1 hour on average
Approve draftYour action
PaymentYour action

Special rules & HS codes

Rule 1

In Transit: Mali requires the BESC even if the shipment is in discharging in a neighboring country.

Rule 2

It is not possible to create a BESC number for Mali on forehand.

Rule 3

The BESC number will be available on the draft version.

Rule 4

Printing the BESC number on the Master Bill of Lading is not required by the authority, but individual carriers may ask for it.

Official sources

Mali BESC: official decisions, as reported

The BESC is managed by the Conseil Malien des Chargeurs (CMC), created by ordinance No. 99-036/P-RM of 23 September 1999. The CMC’s own site was unreachable when we checked; the decisions below are as reported by Mali Tribune.

accessed

Top 3 causes of Mali BESC problems

  • The Bill of Lading shows only the coastal port, and the final destination in Mali is not stated, so the BESC is not filed for Mali.
  • The invoice does not list the FOB value, freight and other costs separately.
  • The BESC is filed late: a declaration without a BESC is refused at the Mali border and the cargo goes back to the port for regularisation.

Specific questions: Mali

Who manages the Mali BESC?

The Conseil Malien des Chargeurs (CMC). Interministerial order No. 2025-6075 of 31 December 2025 sets how the BESC is issued and managed and the rates charged for it, and gives the CMC its design, operation and the collection of the BESC fee at the ports of loading and transit. The activity had previously been run by a foreign company.

What happens if cargo reaches the Mali border without a BESC?

Under CMC circular No. 001/CMC-SG of 13 April 2026, a customs declaration not covered by a properly issued BESC is not accepted at Mali’s border customs offices and is sent back to the port to be regularised. The circular adds that the end of the Malian customs visa at the port of Abidjan does not change the BESC obligation for transit cargo.

My cargo is discharged at Dakar or Abidjan. Do I still need a Mali BESC?

Yes. The Mali BESC follows the final destination, not the port of discharge: any Bill of Lading with final destination Mali needs one, whether the cargo is discharged at Dakar, Abidjan, San Pedro, Conakry or Lomé.

Does the BESC number have to be on the Bill of Lading for Mali?

The authority does not require the BESC number on the Master Bill of Lading, but some carriers ask for it. The number is issued on the draft, so it can be given to the carrier before the Bill of Lading is final.

Latest updates: Mali

Frequently asked questions

The BESC — Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons — is the electronic cargo tracking note required for sea shipments to Mali, discharging at Bamako (Dry Port via Dakar).

Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice and Freight Invoice.

Validated before the vessel reaches the port of discharge.

A draft certificate and a fixed-price invoice come back within 1 hour on average of receiving your documents.

Ready to get your BESC?

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