What is the ECTN Congo (Republic of Congo ECTN)?
The ECTN is a mandatory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) required for all sea-freight shipments destined for Republic of Congo. It acts as a pre-shipment tracking and verification document: the destination customs authority uses it to reconcile the shipper, consignee, cargo description and declared invoice values against the Bill of Lading at Pointe-Noire. The ECTN must be obtained by the shipper or freight forwarder and validated before the vessel sails from the port of loading. Presenting a missing, expired or incorrect ECTN at destination typically leads to customs clearance delays, storage and demurrage charges, and regulatory fines until a valid certificate is provided.
New to the ECTN? Read what an ECTN is, 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 Republic of Congo ECTN
One instrument, several names. For Republic of Congo the filing is the ECTN — Electronic Cargo Tracking Note. The same certificate is also referred to as BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons), CTN (Cargo Tracking Note), and 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.
ECTN Congo: the port of Pointe-Noire
The Republic of Congo ECTN is required for sea cargo discharged at Pointe-Noire, the country’s seaport. The Republic of Congo (capital Brazzaville) is not the Democratic Republic of the Congo (capital Kinshasa): cargo for DR Congo, through Matadi or Boma, needs the FERI instead. Tell us the port of discharge and final destination when you send the Bill of Lading.
Official Republic of Congo ECTN sources
The certificate is issued for the Conseil Congolais des Chargeurs (CCC) in Pointe-Noire.
- Conseil Congolais des Chargeurs (CCC): BESC IMPORT subscription (destination Congo)
- CMA CGM: BESC in Congo and the NVU on the Bill of Lading
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When to file the ECTN for Congo
For Republic of Congo the ECTN has to be validated before the vessel sails from the port of loading. Filing as soon as the booking is confirmed is safe, and a draft Bill of Lading is enough to open the file; we confirm the exact cut-off against your Bill of Lading before anything is filed.
Who files the Republic of Congo ECTN
The shipper, the exporter, or the freight forwarder acting for them — the party at origin that holds the Bill of Lading and the commercial invoice. The consignee usually cannot fix a missing certificate from the destination side once the vessel has sailed. Where the sales terms put the cost on the buyer, that settles who pays; it does not move the obligation to file.
How to get the Republic of Congo ECTN, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Republic of Congo, every cargo shipment purchased from abroad and transported for commercial, business, diplomatic, or personal purposes requires a validated Loading Certificate:
- ▪The shipper or freight forwarder obtains and validates the ECTN for Republic of Congo before the vessel sails from the port of loading.
- ▪Prepare the mandatory documents for validation: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Freight Invoice, and Export Customs Declaration.
- ▪Submit the documents to our compliance desk, where a senior officer cross-checks every field against the destination customs requirements.
- ▪Once validated, the ECTN certificate is issued and must accompany the shipment for customs clearance at Pointe-Noire.
- ▪File the ECTN before the vessel sails from the port of loading; filing after the cut-off can trigger penalties and cargo-release blocks.
Republic of Congo ECTN: validity and amendments
A validated ECTN 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 Republic of Congo ECTN?
Cargo arriving without a validated ECTN is generally not released at Pointe-Noire: 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 Republic of Congo ECTN 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.
Republic of Congo ECTN: latest notices and articles
ECTN Congo questions
What is the Republic of Congo ECTN?
The ECTN is a compulsory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for shipments to Republic of Congo. 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 ECTN?
The core documents are: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Freight Invoice, and Export Customs Declaration. Additional destination-specific paperwork may be requested during validation — our desk confirms the exact list for your shipment.
When must the ECTN be issued?
For Republic of Congo the ECTN has to be validated before the vessel sails from the port of loading. 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 ECTN?
Shipments arriving without a validated ECTN generally face customs clearance delays, storage and demurrage charges, and regulatory fines until a valid certificate is presented.
Can a validated ECTN 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.
What is the difference between the Republic of Congo and DR Congo?
They are neighbouring but separate countries. Cargo for the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) through Pointe-Noire needs the Republic of Congo ECTN; cargo for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) through Matadi or Boma needs the FERI. The port of discharge on the Bill of Lading shows which one applies.
What is the NVU (URN) number for the Republic of Congo?
Once the certificate is validated it receives a unique visa number, the Numéro de Visa Unique (NVU), also called the URN. Printing it on the Master Bill of Lading is not required by the authority, but it is a carrier requirement: CMA CGM, for example, requires the NVU on the Bill of Lading. Check with your carrier before the Bill of Lading is issued.
Is the Republic of Congo ECTN the same as the BESC?
Yes. The Conseil Congolais des Chargeurs (CCC) calls the import certificate the BESC IMPORT (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons, destination Congo); the issued document is printed as the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (e-CTN). It is one certificate. The CCC also issues a separate BESC EXPORT for cargo leaving Congo.
Is the Republic of Congo ECTN valid for DR Congo?
No. DR Congo issues its own certificate, the FERI. A Republic of Congo ECTN covers cargo discharged at Pointe-Noire only.