Guinea ECTN requirement

Under Guinea Ministry of Transport and Customs Order N° D/2011/305/PRG/SGG, all sea cargo loaded for Conakry must hold a valid ECTN/ACD/ENS before the vessel sails. The same requirement applies to cargo transhipped via Conakry to inland destinations such as Mali. The certificate is also known as BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons).

Certificate name

ECTN / ACD / ENS / BESC — Electronic Cargo Tracking Note. The certificate records shipper, consignee, B/L number, cargo value, quantity and export declaration data for port supervision and import data collection.

Scope

All sea cargo to Conakry: FCL, LCL, break-bulk and RoRo, including general goods and dangerous goods. No exemption. Applies to traders, carriers and freight forwarders handling Guinea-bound sea cargo.

Data required

ECTN Application Form

Draft Bill of Lading

Commercial Invoice

Export Customs Declaration

Timing

The ECTN must be validated before the ship calls the destination port. Standard issuance is generally 2–3 working days. The ECTN number must be transmitted to the carrier so that it can be inserted into the original Bill of Lading.

Project flow

Collect cargo details (description, weight, packages, packing type, HS code) and transport details (POL, POD, vessel, voyage).

Submit the four required documents.

Receive the Guinea ECTN draft for review.

Verify the draft against the transport documents.

Receive the ECTN number; the certificate is issued electronically (PDF).

Penalties for non-compliance. Carriers may refuse to load; on arrival the cargo may face clearance delays and a daily penalty of 0.8% of cargo value, up to 20% of cargo value. In severe cases the cargo may be detained, returned or auctioned.