ECTN Certificate Charges: What Affects the Cost & How to Avoid Overpaying

ECTN Certificate charges are based on the bill of lading for each individual shipment. Factors that effect price are destination country, shipment weight, volume and other factors such as the goods being shipped.

This article will cover why ECTN Certificate Charges will vary for each destination country, and why global shippers and freight forwarders choose AfricaCTN for transparent pricing and smooth customs clearance.

What Factors Affect ECTN Certificate Charges

The destination port is the single biggest factor in determining the ECTN / BESC price. Each African country will have it’s own unique tariff structure for the electronic cargo tracking note. Other factors include:

Cargo Type: The next most important thing in considering ECTN price is the cargo type. Shipping containers will have a different ECTN rate than shipping general cargo or bulk shipments.

Container Size and Quantity: Most countries will have different rates for a 20’ container and a 40’ container. Some countries will have rates for groups of containers such as:

• Per 5 Containers
• Up to 10 TEUs (TEU means twenty foot equivalent, e.g. 2×20’ containers or 1×40’ container)
• Per 2 TEUs

General Cargo / Bulk Shipments: When shipping general cargo or bulk shipments the rate will very based on weight or volume. Typically, it will go by the larger of the two. Some examples of weight based pricing are:

• Per 300MT
• Per 500MT
• Per W/M (whichever is the larger of the two CBM or MT)
• Per MT

Loading Port: Lots of countries have different required documents and tariffs depending on the loading port. Namely if the shipment is loading in Europe or Africa (Zone EA), or Rest of World (ROW).

Timing: Other than the shipment details, another factor for waiver certificate pricing is the timing of the validation. Some countries have a late penalty than can be upwards of 200% the cost of the valid ECTN number

Why ECTN Charges Vary Between Providers

Choosing your ECTN provider is important and can influence how much you will pay to obtain an ECTN / BSC. Each provider will set their processing fee for their services in addition to the cost of the ECTN tariff. Some factors that influence how much they will charge are:

Authorized Agency Agreements: Companies like AfricaCTN are authorized agents for many countries that require it. So we are able to charge the direct tariff plus a processing fee.

• For certain African countries, third party ECTN agents are obligated to file through the authorized agent which will cause their prices to be much higher than coming direct.

Accuracy: If you choose an ECTN provider that does not complete the CTN Certificate completely and accurately you could face fines and penalties set by the customs authorities for the importer in the destination port.

How to Reduce ECTN Costs

Choose an Authorized Agent: Filing directly with an authorized agent eliminates additional fees and hidden costs

File Early: Submit your ECTN application before the validation deadline to prevent additional delays and penalties

Use One ECTN Provider: Consolidate all your ECTN requests to one authorized agent like AfricaCTN, eliminating communication delays and inconsistencies across ECTN validations

• AfricaCTN issues the ECTN for all 25+ countries that require it

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)