Togo made an announcement: effective Bill of Lading date August 1, 2015. Togo will require all cargo arriving into or from their country to be covered by an ECTN. Under the authority of Interministerial Order No. 001/MEF/MCPSP/MTPT/DC dated April 8, 2015 all shipments to or from Togo are required to be covered by an ECTN.
Each BOL must be covered by at least one ECTN and its unique number is required to be inserted in the Bill of Lading.
Cargo not covered by a validated ECTN will not be cleared through the local Togo Customs. It will be held until presentation of the final ECTN and appropriate fines will be charged. This is a summary of Togo’s 2015 announcement.
It is important to note that failure to comply with Togo’s ECTN requirements can result in significant delays and fines. Shipments to or from Togo should be covered by a validated ECTN before the cargo is loaded. The ECTN system is aimed at enhancing cargo tracking, reducing fraud, and improving customs revenue collection in Togo. Shippers and carriers should work closely with AfricaCTN to obtain and validate the ECTN before the cargo is loaded. With adherence to Togo’s ECTN requirements, shippers can ensure that their cargo is cleared through Togo customs smoothly and avoid any delays.
