What is Mali BESC?
The BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons) is Mali’s electronic cargo tracking note. It is managed by the Conseil Malien des Chargeurs (CMC), Mali’s shippers’ council, which interministerial order No. 2025-6075 of 31 December 2025 put in charge of issuing the BESC and collecting its fee at the ports of loading and transit; the activity had been run by a foreign company before. Because Mali has no seaport, the BESC follows the final destination, not the port of discharge: cargo for Bamako discharged at Dakar or Abidjan still needs the Mali BESC. Since a CMC circular of 13 April 2026, a customs declaration not covered by a BESC is not accepted at Mali’s border customs offices and is sent back to the port to be regularised.
Other names for the Mali BESC
One instrument, several names. For Mali the filing is the BESC — Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons. The same certificate is also referred to as BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons), BSC, and ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), and a request for one is a request for the other. If your importer or your carrier has asked for a name that is not on this page, send it to us with the Bill of Lading and we will confirm which filing they mean.
Which ports need the Mali BESC?
Mali is landlocked. Its sea cargo is discharged at coastal ports, mainly Dakar (Senegal), Abidjan and San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire), Conakry (Guinea) and Lomé (Togo), and travels on by road or rail to Bamako. The Mali BESC is required for any Bill of Lading with final destination Mali, whichever of these ports is used. Whether the transit country also asks for its own certificate depends on the port, so tell us the port of discharge when you send the Bill of Lading.
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.
- Mali Tribune (4 Feb 2026): order No. 2025-6075 of 31 December 2025 returns the BESC to the CMC
- Mali Tribune (18 Apr 2026): CMC circular No. 001/CMC-SG of 13 April 2026, declarations without a BESC refused at the border
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When must the Mali BESC be issued?
The Mali BESC must be validated before the vessel reaches the port of discharge. File it as soon as the Bill of Lading is available: the BESC number appears on the draft, and cargo that reaches the Mali border without a BESC is sent back to the port for regularisation, at the cost of storage and delay in the transit port.
Who files the Mali BESC?
The shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder at origin, the party that holds the Bill of Lading and the invoice. The importer in Mali cannot clear the goods without it: since April 2026 the Mali border customs offices refuse declarations that are not covered by a BESC.
How to get the Mali BESC, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Mali, every cargo shipment purchased from abroad and transported for commercial, business, diplomatic, or personal purposes requires a validated Loading Certificate:
- ▪Send the Bill of Lading, the commercial invoice and, when the invoice is FOB or EXW, the freight invoice, and tell us the port of discharge and the final destination in Mali.
- ▪We check that the invoice shows the FOB value, freight and other costs separately, with the Incoterm, origin and currency, and that the figures match the Bill of Lading.
- ▪The BESC number is issued on the draft; it cannot be created before the file is opened. We send you the draft to approve.
- ▪After approval and payment the BESC is validated before the vessel arrives, and the importer presents it with the customs declaration at the Mali border.
Mali BESC: validity and amendments
A validated BESC is issued against one shipment: one Bill of Lading, one vessel, one voyage, one consignee. It does not carry over to your next shipment and it carries no renewal date. If the shipment changes, the certificate has to change with it — and what can be amended after validation, and at what cost, is set by the destination authority. Corrections to the draft before filing cost nothing, which is why we send you the draft first.
What happens without a valid Mali BESC?
Cargo arriving without a validated BESC is generally not released at Dakar (Senegal), Abidjan (Ivory Coast) or Conakry (Guinea): customs clearance delays, storage and demurrage accruing daily, and regulatory fines until a valid certificate is presented. The demurrage is often the larger of the two numbers, and it is the one that grows while the paperwork is corrected.
What a Mali BESC costs
Two lines, quoted separately. The first is the statutory charge the destination authority sets for registering the certificate — it belongs to the authority, not to us, and it varies by destination and shipment profile. The second is our service fee for preparing the file, checking it against the published requirements, filing it and handling any query. Neither is a percentage of your cargo value. Both are fixed and shown before anything is filed, so the invoice you approve is the invoice you pay.
Mali BESC: latest notices and articles
Mali BESC questions
What is the Mali BESC?
The BESC is a compulsory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for shipments to Mali. It records loading and invoice details so customs can verify compliance ahead of the destination's filing deadline.
Which documents are required to obtain the BESC?
The core documents are: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, and Freight Invoice. Additional destination-specific paperwork may be requested during validation — our desk confirms the exact list for your shipment.
When must the BESC be issued?
For Mali the BESC has to be validated before the vessel arrives at the port of discharge. File as early as possible; our desk confirms the exact cut-off against your Bill of Lading.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid BESC?
Shipments arriving without a validated BESC generally face customs clearance delays, storage and demurrage charges, and regulatory fines until a valid certificate is presented.
Can a validated BESC be modified after issuance?
Once validated, changes are generally restricted. Ensure all weights, values and party details match your cargo manifests and Bill of Lading exactly before submitting.
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.