Congo
Waiver Certificate Requirements

Cargo transported to Congo requires an electronic cargo tracking note

Waiver Control:

A Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN)/ Bordereau Electronique de Suivi Cargaison (BESC) is required for all exports to Congo under directive No. 557/CCC/DG effective 10/01/04.

Please note the former Bordereau d’Identification de la Cargaison/ Cargo Identification Note (BIC) system has been replaced by Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN)/ Bordereau Electronique de Suivi Cargaison (BESC).

Documentation Requirements:

The subscriber of the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) / Bordereau Electronique de Suivi Cargaison (BESC) must electronically attach the following documents to the ECTN/BESC:

  • Freight invoice
  • Pink slip/ Grey card for all imported vehicles
  • Commercial invoice for supplier

Requests that are not accompanied by the above documents will be subject to refusal.

Pre-Shipment Inspection:

All imports to Congo require Pre-Shipment Inspections (PSI) – Déclaration d’Importation (DI). Pre-Shipment Inspection is mandated by he Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et du Budget Decree No. 008/19/AO/PR – DCMCE dated 12/04/99.

PSI is managed by COTECNA Inspection S.A. [Decree No. 99-167 of 23 August 1999]. Referencing the Congo ECTN provider certificate cost will 50% higher if it is not validated within 5 days from the loading date.

Minimum Value for Pre-shipment Inspection:

CFA 3,000,000 FOB

Type of Report Issued:

To Seller:
Security label on copy of the final document in case of satisfactory results. Non-Negotiable Report of Findings (NNRF) or Discrepancy report or ‘Avis de Refus d’Attestation’ in case of discrepancy results.

To Importer:
Clean Report of Finding – ADV (Attestation de Vérification) in case of satisfactory results. Non Negotiable Report of Finding (NNRF) / Discrepancy report – Avis de Refus d’Attestation – in case of discrepancy results.

Goods Exempted from Pre-Shipment Inspection:

  • Objects of art, precious stones, gold and other precious metals
  • Used personal and household effects, including one used car
  • Imports with a FOB value below 3,000,000 XAF
  • Personal Gifts
  • Current newspapers and periodicals, postal or fiscal stamps, stamped paper, bankotes and chequebooks
  • Weapons and related ammunition other than for sport and hunting purposes
  • Bona fide gifts to the Government and imports for diplomatic entities and for United Nations organisation for their own use in Congo
  • Non-commercial parcel post and commercial samples
  • Crude oil and refined product
  • Cinematographic film exposed and developed
  • Plants and flowers
  • Live animals
  • Perishable goods for human consumption, neither frozen or deep-frozen (such as fish, meat, vegetables and fruit)
  • Explosives and pyrotechnic products
  • Medicinal products
  • Scrap metal
  • Goods imported by Free-shops and intended for export-sales

Part Shipments:

Part shipments are subject to PSI if total order exceeds CFA 3,000,000 FOB. However partial shipments will be subject only to Price Analysis* and documentary verification (no physical inspection).

*This instruction does not apply for the following goods for which the physical inspection is still mandatory irrespective of the value of the partial shipment: rice, salt, cigarettes, electrical batteries, hydrocarbon products, match boxes, second hand goods and all products which have a shelf life (foodstuffs).

Documents Required:

Final Invoice (must show: freight, insurance, FOB and total value) and transport document.

Inspection Costs:

Inspection costs are paid by the importer to the COTECNA office in Point-Noire. Nevertheless, COTECNA may invoice the seller in the event of supplementary inspection visits (in vain or unsatisfactory results). The costs incurred by the seller for presenting the goods for inspection e.g. unpacking, handling, repacking are for the account of the seller.

Goods Prohibited from Import:

  • Meat with high content of fat
  • Chicken legs
  • Turkey rumps
  • Old frozen meat or fish
  • Skimmed and peeled chops
  • Eggs transported in non-refrigerated containers (reefer containers)

Restricted Imports:

Congo, Africa

The goods below require an administrative licence before they can be imported into Congo