The significance of Electronic Cargo Tracking Notes (ECTN) has been underlined in the shipping and logistics articles over the years. The notion is familiar to anyone who frequently handles shipments to nations in Africa. Although ECTN is a conventional term among all countries, the names of the same certificate used in a particular nation may be different. The reason for obscured terms entails misleading information while making an application for a similar certificate. Here we try to enhance the names of certificates known by several names depending on the country.
ACID (Advance Cargo Information Declaration) –> Egypt
ACID is the certification required by the Egiptian Customs Authorities. This is one of the most recently implemented systems in the ECTN alliance.
CTN (Cargo Tracking Note) –>Ghana; Liberia
CTN or Cargo Tracking Note is conventionally used parallel to the ECTN. Liberia and formerly Ghana use CTN when they refer to waiver documentation.
BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi de Cargaisons) –> Benin; Cameroon.
BESC is exact translation of ECTN in French and reads as Bordereau Électronique de Suivi de Cargaisons. It is a document that is required in most of the French speaking African nations namely Cameroon and Benin.
ICTN (International Cargo Tracking Note) –> Nigeria
Nigeria is the only Country that use ICTN in resemblance to ECTN cer Certificate. This certificate is subject of much debate in the country leading to termination in 2020.
ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note) –> Algeria; Republic of Chad; Togo; Guinea Conakry; Libya; Central African Republic; Republic of Congo; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Equatorial Guinea; South Sudan
ECTN is traditionally used among all countries. Certain countries who didn’t name the certificate in their own way are also taking up the name as ECTN for their required waiver document.
BSC (Bordereau de Suivi de Cargaisons) –> Ivory Coast; Senegal; Niger; Madagascar; Mali.
BSC stands for Bordereau de Suivi de Cargaison, which is a translation of CTN. This particular document is mandatory for shipments that go to Ivory Coast; Senegal; Niger; Madagascar; Mali.
FERI (Fiche Électronique des Renseignements à l’Importation) –> Democratic Republic of Congo
FERI only describes the ECTN for DR Congo. In fact, traditionally the DR Congo certificate is not referred to as anything other than FERI.
CNCA (Conselho Nacional de Carregadores) –> Angola
Similar to FERI, CNCA certification is the term representing a document that is required in Angola. CNCA is one of the pioneers of the ECTN class being introduced in early 1990.
BIETC (Bordereau d’Identification Électronique de Traçabilité des Cargaisons) –> Gabon
BIETC is the certification required by the Gabonees Customs Authorities.
CEE (Certificado Electrónico de Embarque) –> Guinea Bissau
CEE is used parallel to ECTN in Guinea Bissau.
ENS—> Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone Authorities use ENS along with CTN for the documentation which is required for every shipment importer and Exporter from Sierra Leone.
Note that, although the dissimilarity in names are striking, you should not be misled by the difference. In fact, all of the above describe the same documentation and serve the same purpose as the ECTN certificate.
