Benin BESC
BESC is one of the must have documents when exporting to Benin. It will save you a lot of effort, money and time at the destination port. Let me explain what BESC exactly is, then I will talk about the consequences of not having it.
I would like to remind you that a BSC certificate is required for all ports in Benin. Such as Cotonou etc.
See Full Contact DetailsWhat is BESC?
BESC, (Bordereau Électroniquede Suivi des Cargaisons) as I said in the beginning, is a mandatory document. The port authorities will be asking for this document once your cargo is at the destination port.
It was made mandatory, because the need for government body to identify and authorize the shipment before it is on-broad of a vessel. It is done to control, track and forecast the traffic of imported goods. BESC enables the shipper to process submissions in a more consistent and transparent manner, while authorities to verify swiftly.
Next up is the part where I explain the consequences I was talking about, buckle up!
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What will happen if you don’t have it?
From November 15, 2021, the Council of Benin Ministers transferred the ECTN management from the National Shippers’ Council of Benin (CNCB) to the Autonomous Port of Cotonou (PAC). PAC is authorized to demand and apply penalties if cargo is not covered with BESC certificate.
The unloading of cargo not covered by an ECTN from the port of loading constitutes an offense and exposes its owner to a fine. A penalty determined by the governing body Autonomous Port of Cotonou (PAC) will be applied to the cargo owner, which the shipper will have to pay online in addition to the ECTN fee. Let me just say that your importer won’t be happy about this as it will lead to delay and costly process.
Now that you really understand the consequences, you might be asking how you can get one. I got you covered.
How you can obtain a BESC
I’d say this is the easiest part of the operation since we’ll be doing most of the work for you. Let me elaborate:
All you have to do is to email the soft copies of the necessary documents (which I will mention after this part). After that, a draft of the BESC document will be presented to you, so you can check if there is any part you want to be changed. And after approving the draft, you’ll be sent the validated BESC in 1-2 working days.
Now you know how the process goes. I can now explain the documents that you are going to need when you are applying for the BESC. Don’t forget that if you send the correct documents the process will be a lot faster! And when I say a lot, I mean a lot.
Necessary Documents
- Bill of Lading (Scanned Copy)
- Commercial Invoice (Scanned Copy)
- Freight Invoice (If the Commercial Invoice doesn’t include the Freight Value)
- Customs Declaration (Scanned Copy)
- Packing List (Scanned Copy)
Price List
Acquiring the waiver saves you from additional costs for a small price. The cost for BESC depends on the type of cargo (20ft, 40ft, Break Bulk, RO-RO, etc.), the number of containers, the number of Bills of Lading raised and the country of discharge for the shipment.
If you want to know how much the BESC will cost, contact us for a free quotation.
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Notice
Please note that we have received confirmation from the Benin authorities that for vehicles inside containers, the cargo type should be “container”.
This only goes for vehicles inside containers, so where the container number is clearly mentioned on the documents.
Please make sure to add the chassis number of the vehicles in the goods description field for this type of case.
Of course, vehicles that are not loaded in containers should be given the cargo type “RoRo”.
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If you have all the required documents mentioned above, you can send the copies via email to get your BESC certificate validated today.
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