Republic of The Congo ECTN
In 2008, the Republic of Congo implemented a new regulation that made all shipments to the Republic of Congo obliged to have an ECTN certificate. And not having this certificate will lead to severe consequences as well as enormous amounts of fines. If you are using the Republic of Congo for transit purposes, in some cases, an ECTN isn’t necessary. The ECTN is mandatory for all ports in Republic of the Congo. Such as Pointe Noire etc.
It is still an ongoing regulation, and despite being a twelve-year-old requirement, ECTN is still one of the most overlooked documents.
CTN, in other African countries, can still be considered new, however in this case, despite being a requirement twenty-six years old, it is surprisingly an often overlooked certificate.
What are the required documents?
- Bill of Lading: It contains details about the exporter, the importer, the weight of the goods, the shipping line, the vessel name, etc.
- Freight Invoice: Freight Invoice: This is only a requirement if the freight cost is not on the Commercial Invoice.
- Commercial Invoice: It contains the details of the goods, the freight cost, the incoterm, and some other charges if there is any, etc.. Freight Invoice: This is only a requirement if the freight cost is not on the Commercial Invoice.
- Documento Unico: Documento Unico: This document is an Import License in Angola. It is also known as DU. When applying for a CNCA, DU’s expiry date has to be valid. It is generally 60 days from the date of DU issuance.
What consequences can you face if you don’t have it?
You must validate the ECTN before the 5th day after the departure at the latest. But it is suggested to validate the certificate before the vessel departs. If it is not validated it in the given time, the cost of the certificate will be 50% higher. If the ship arrives without a certificate, you will face a fine, equivalent to the value of the certificate plus the regulation charges determined by the authorities. And on top of that, your shipment will not have an entry clearance.
Pricing
Certificate cost depends on the number of Bill of Ladings and the containers, the country of origin, the port of discharge, etc. This is why we can’t give you an exact price for the CTN. But if you share your shipment’s details with us we can provide you the best charges for your certificate. We offer free quotation.
