What is the Chad ECTN (BESC)?
The Chad BESC is the electronic cargo tracking note for sea cargo bound for Chad, required since January 2013 according to the Chad shippers’ council. Because Chad has no seaport, the BESC follows the final destination: cargo for N’Djamena discharged in Cameroon needs the Chad BESC. On 15 June 2026 the Conseil National des Chargeurs du Cameroun (CNCC) suspended, until further notice, the obligation of the Cameroonian BESC for cargo in transit on the Douala–N’Djamena and Douala–Bangui corridors, following the Chad–Cameroon–CAR tripartite forum of May 2026. The suspension concerns Cameroon’s certificate, not Chad’s.
New to the BESC? Read BESC meaning, and CTN meaning in shipping for the cargo tracking note that 30 African and Middle East destinations ask for in one form or another.
Other names for the Chad BESC
One instrument, several names. For Chad the filing is the BESC — Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons. The same certificate is also referred to as ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), and BESC Tchad, 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.
Chad ECTN: transit via Douala and Kribi
Chad has no seaport. Its sea cargo is discharged mainly at Douala or Kribi in Cameroon and continues by road to N’Djamena; some cargo routes through Cotonou or Lagos. The Chad BESC is required for every Bill of Lading with final destination Chad, whichever port is used. On the Cameroon route, the Cameroonian BESC for transit cargo has been suspended since 15 June 2026 until further notice.
Chad BESC: official notices
The Chad BESC is required by the Chad shippers’ council; the Cameroon transit rule is set by Cameroon’s shippers’ council (CNCC).
- Investir au Cameroun (22 Jun 2026): CNCC suspends the BESC for transit cargo on the Douala–N’Djamena and Douala–Bangui corridors
- ANTASER notices: Chad BESC mandatory since January 2013
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When to file the Chad BESC
The Chad BESC has to be validated before the vessel reaches the port of discharge. File as soon as the booking is confirmed: the BESC number appears on the draft, and late validation leaves the cargo waiting in the transit port.
Who files the Chad BESC
The shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder at origin files the Chad BESC. The importer in N’Djamena does not file it, but cannot clear the cargo without it.
How to get the Chad BESC, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Chad, 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 with the shipped-on-board date, the commercial invoice showing the Incoterm and Chad as the destination, and the freight invoice if freight is not on the invoice.
- ▪We check that parties, package types, weights and values match across the documents. The BESC number appears on the draft.
- ▪You approve the draft; the BESC is validated before the vessel reaches the port of discharge.
- ▪The validated Chad BESC travels with the cargo to N’Djamena for clearance.
Chad 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 Chad BESC?
Cargo arriving without a validated BESC is generally not released at Douala (Cameroon), Cotonou (Benin) or Lagos (Nigeria): 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 the Chad 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. How ECTN charges are calculated.
Chad BESC: latest notices and articles
- Chad BESC Procedure: What Shippers Must Know · 2026-02-24
Is the Chad BESC Mandatory?
Yes. Every sea shipment with final destination Chad needs a Chad BESC, required since January 2013 according to a communiqué of the Chad shippers’ council published by ANTASER. That holds when the cargo is discharged in Cameroon and finishes the trip to N’Djamena by road.
How Long Does the Chad BESC Take?
A confirmed booking starts the Chad BESC file. The Bill of Lading with the shipped-on-board date follows, with the commercial invoice showing the Incoterm and Chad as the destination, and the freight invoice if freight is not on the invoice. Parties, package types, weights and values are compared, the BESC number appears on the draft, you approve it and the BESC is validated.
Delays sit in the documents: no shipped-on-board date, no Incoterm on the invoice, pallets on one document and boxes on the other. The latest point is the vessel reaching the port of discharge. Miss it and the cargo waits at a transit port such as Douala or Kribi instead of moving on to N’Djamena.
Bill of Lading Checks for the Chad BESC
Chad requires the shipped-on-board date, so look there first. Next comes the package type: cargo on pallets must read pallets on both the Bill of Lading and the invoice, and any difference is fixed before filing. Last is the final destination: the port of discharge may be Douala or Kribi, but the file opens for Chad, so the documents must show the cargo is going there.
What the Commercial Invoice Must Show for Chad
Chad requires the Incoterm on the commercial invoice, and the invoice must also state Chad as the destination. Naming Cameroon because the cargo is discharged there does not meet this. If a Chad invoice leaves freight out, the freight invoice joins the file.
Chad BESC Draft and Validated Certificate
On a Chad filing the BESC number already appears on the draft, but the draft is not the validated certificate. What travels with the cargo to N’Djamena for clearance is the BESC validated before the vessel reaches the port of discharge. So a number on the draft does not close the file: check package types, weights and values against the Bill of Lading, then approve.
Cameroon BESC Suspension: Which Cargo It Covers
Cameroon’s transit BESC became mandatory on 1 January 2026. On 15 June 2026 the CNCC suspended it, until further notice, for transit cargo on the Douala–N’Djamena and Douala–Bangui corridors, following the Chad–Cameroon–CAR tripartite forum of May 2026. "Until further notice" does not mean permanent removal. The decision concerns Cameroon’s certificate only, so a suspension headline from Douala does not change the Chad BESC.
Chad Cargo Discharged at Kribi
The Chad BESC does not change: a Bill of Lading with final destination Chad needs it. The Cameroon side is less clear, because the suspension notice names two corridors, both starting at Douala, and does not mention Kribi. If your cargo for N’Djamena discharges at Kribi, ask us before filing whether a Cameroonian certificate is requested.
Chad Transit via Cotonou or Lagos
Some cargo for Chad routes through Cotonou or Lagos instead of Cameroon, and the Chad BESC is required on those routes too. Whether the transit country also asks for its own certificate on Chad cargo is not settled here: your forwarder should confirm before filing. Give the port of discharge and Chad as the final destination when you send the Bill of Lading.
Shipping to Chad from Turkey
Cargo from Turkey is discharged mainly at Douala or Kribi and goes on by road to N’Djamena. The Chad BESC has to be validated before the vessel reaches those ports, so open the file when the booking from Turkey is confirmed. The shipper, exporter or forwarder in Turkey files; the importer in N’Djamena does not file but cannot clear the cargo without it.
Why File Through GetCTN
We read a Chad file for what stops it: the shipped-on-board date, the Incoterm, Chad named on the invoice, and package types that agree. You see the BESC number on the draft before you approve it. For N’Djamena cargo, the authority charge and our service fee are quoted as two fixed lines before anything is filed.
Chad ECTN and BESC questions
What is the Chad BESC?
The BESC is a compulsory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for shipments to Chad. 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?
The Chad BESC has to be validated before the vessel reaches the port of discharge. File as soon as the booking is confirmed: the BESC number appears on the draft, and late validation leaves the cargo waiting in the transit port.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid BESC?
The Chad BESC is needed to clear the cargo in N’Djamena. Cargo that arrives without a validated Chad BESC waits in the transit port, with storage and demurrage, until it is regularised.
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.
Is the Chad ECTN the same as the Chad BESC?
Yes. Searches for the Chad ECTN mean the BESC, the name printed on the certificate.
Does cargo for Chad through Douala also need a Cameroon BESC?
Not at the moment. On 15 June 2026 the Cameroon shippers’ council (CNCC) suspended, until further notice, the Cameroonian BESC for cargo in transit on the Douala–N’Djamena corridor. The Chad BESC is still required.
Since when is the Chad BESC mandatory?
Since January 2013, according to a communiqué of the Chad shippers’ council published by ANTASER.