Niger authorities implemented a new regulation, making all shipments to Niger obliged to have a BSC certificate in 2008. Arriving at the destination without this certificate will cause serious problems, like a huge fine. Since Niger is a landlocked country, all maritime cargoes are transited from Benin. So, you will need a BSC certificate for Niger, and a BSC for Benin as well. Click here to find out more on transit shipments.
Some might think that no one would ever miss out on something as crucial as this certificate. That is not true at all. People overlook this certification way more often than you’d think.
What is Niger BSC?
BSC stands for Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons, which is French for Cargo Tracking Note or CTN for short. The name itself provides a clear indication of its purpose. It is a certificate utilized by authorities to track, manage, and supervise all cargos from loading to discharge. Additionally, it enables officials to obtain information about the shipments even before they arrive at the destination port. This includes details about the exporter, the importer, information about the transported goods and their value, the cost of the freight, the type of shipment, the name of the vessel, and more.
What are the required documents?
All you need is 2-3 documents to apply for the ECTN certificate, and you can find them in the following:
- Bill of Lading: This is a document that includes details about the exporter, the importer, the weight of the goods, the shipping line, the vessel name, etc.
- Commercial Invoice: It contains details of the goods, the freight cost, the incoterm, and some other charges if there is any, etc.
- Freight Invoice: This document is only necessary if the freight cost isn’t on the commercial invoice.
What are the consequences of not having it?
You must have the BSC certificate five days before the vessel arrives at the latest, or the consequences won’t be pretty. If your shipment arrives without a BSC certificate, there will be a charge twice the amount of the BSC cost plus the regulation fee determined by the Niger National Port Officials.
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.
What are the most imported items into Niger?
| Product label | Imported value in 2020 | Imported value in 2021 | Imported value in 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All products | 3,026,110 | 2,784,744 | 3,787,226 |
| Cereals | 396,432 | 474,116 | 549,172 |
| Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof | 292,199 | 220,205 | 434,244 |
| Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 252,987 | 225,770 | 351,216 |
| Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof | 238,768 | 80,048 | 341,957 |
| Articles of iron or steel | 119,539 | 115,334 | 289,508 |
| Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral . . . | 120,018 | 143,887 | 241,465 |
| Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television . . . | 124,026 | 120,059 | 171,275 |
| Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 212,776 | 229,210 | 155,956 |
| Other made-up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags | 51,577 | 46,403 | 118,814 |
| Pharmaceutical products | 259,164 | 130,814 | 103,512 |
| Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement | 86,784 | 99,863 | 102,681 |
| Iron and steel | 44,635 | 46,313 | 79,968 |
| Plastics and articles thereof | 34,877 | 37,509 | 74,764 |
| Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; . . . | 104,853 | 103,020 | 73,309 |
| Miscellaneous edible preparations | 96,702 | 91,458 | 71,973 |
| Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks’ products | 55,681 | 87,590 | 70,114 |
| Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes; products, whether or not containing nicotine, . . . | 49,250 | 61,840 | 59,963 |
| Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings; . . . | 26,324 | 22,939 | 50,358 |
| Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical . . . | 40,243 | 38,126 | 45,206 |
| Sugars and sugar confectionery | 64,648 | 56,992 | 38,945 |
| Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, . . . | 23,131 | 24,998 | 28,153 |
| Miscellaneous chemical products | 17,770 | 17,916 | 25,418 |
| Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial . . . | 17,343 | 19,604 | 20,819 |
| Products of the milling industry; malt; starches; inulin; wheat gluten | 34,358 | 36,168 | 20,375 |
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