Shipping to and from Ivory Coast

Port of Discharge : Abidjan

Port of Discharge : San-Pédro

Area : Ivory Coast Area 
Country : Ivory Coast
Direction : Import
Effective Date : 01/01/2019
Expiry Date : 31/12/2022
Free time : Calendar day basis (i.e. including week-ends and holidays)
Currency : XOF 
Invoiced : Per container, per day, as per container type

Import - Demurrage import

Demurrage starts as from discharge day full on terminal, including vessel arrival, Saturday, Sunday and Publics holidays. 

+ Abidjan/San Pedro: CIABJ/CISP0

Free time

+ Abidjan: Special Deal for cargo big volume: CIABJ/CISP0

Tariff after free time

Detention import

Free time for Dry Containers delivered to customer (gate out delivery) is 4 calendar days, including, gate out date, Saturday, Sunday and Publics holidays.

Free time

Tariff

Longstanding reminder

As from the 25th day, your container (s) is going to be seized systematically by the customs. You will be able to pay the depot fees and proceed with release process.

After 90 days, container (s) is considered as abandoned and could be sent in auction by customs at any time unless you already customs cleared it.

In this regard, we urge you to make the necessary to customs cleared the cargo (if not yet done), and contact us for the delivery.

New import regulation

As of 16/07/2018 (BL Date), a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE will be requested for every shipment to Côte d'Ivoire and applied to all goods imported into the country with a FOB value superior or equal to XOF 1 million (approx. EUR 1,500).

Shipments loaded after this date and arriving without Certificate of Conformity will be rejected by Customs and penalties will be applied: 50% of cargo value + confiscation and destruction of goods at the expense of the importers.

Importers will need to contact designated agencies: BUREAU VERITAS (BIVAC BV) /COTECNA INSPECTION / IINTERTEK International Limited / Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) to obtain this document, which is required for any import prior loading except for :

• Gold and other precious metals
• Precious stones
• Explosives, weapons, ammunition and other war material intended for the national armed forces and the police
• live animals
• Vegetables and fresh fruits
• Fresh and frozen fish
• Fresh and frozen meat
• Plants and products of floriculture
• Traditional products or traditional handicrafts of Community origin
• Drugs and inputs used in the manufacture of medicines
• Current newspapers and periodicals, postage or tax stamps, stamp papers, banknotes, checkbooks, passports and certain printed documents
• Personal belongings and used household objects
• Used vehicles
• Crude or partially refined petroleum
• Commercial samples
• Supplies to diplomatic and consular missions or international organizations, imported for their own purposes

New import regulation

As of 16/04/2018 (BL Date), a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE will be requested for every shipment to Côte d'Ivoire. Importers will need to contact designated agencies (BUREAU VERITAS / COTECNA / INTERTEK / SGS) to obtain this document, which is required for any import.

Customs proceedings

20 days after vessel arrival, customs issue a document that notifies that the cargo is under customs authority in a bonded area. Units are not moved from stack. However, Maersk Line can no longer control the cargo (reshipment, auctions...) in order to obtain payment of sea freight and other charges. 2 months after this notification, containers are withheld by customs. Here and after, customs are allowed to auction the cargo. The proceeds from an auction are allocated to payment of various customs fees.

Customs release cargo without Maersk Line delivery order.

On a regular basis, Maersk Côte d'Ivoire will advise on cargo under customs authority.

Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)

According to Customs Circular No 1158, (clarification on cargo inspection) Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) has to be performed in the country of origin. Exporters and importers in country of origin are responsible for the PSI. Export cargo to Côte d'Ivoire is subject to Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) as per the Ministerial decree 93-313, dated 11 March 1993.

Companies selected for PSI are:

• BIVAC
• COTECNA

Inspections performed in transhipment ports or at destination are no longer valid (only one yearly inspection at destination will be allowed per customer).

List of goods exempted from PSI:

• Imports with a FOB (Freight On Board) value or below EUR 763
• Gold, precious stones
• Objects of art
• Scrap metal
• Explosives, weapons and material for regular army and police
• Live animals
• Fish, vegetables and fresh fruit (also refrigerated)
• Plants and flowers
• Cinematographic films
• Newspapers, stamps, bank notes, passports, post parcels
• Used personal and household effects, used personal vehicles
• Personal gifts
• Crude oil
• Commercial samples
• Donations offered by foreign governments or international organisations
• Imports for diplomatic entities and for the United Nations

More information:

• Bivac International (cargo for consumption)
• Cotecna (cargo destined for temporary depots)

F.R.I. number

According to the directive number 1062 dated 4 September 2001 from the Customs General Direction regarding the cargo manifest follow-up, the F.R.I. number (Fiche de Rensignement a l'Importation) is required on the b/l. This procedure only applies for cargo controlled by Bivac or Cotecna (with a cargo value larger than or equal to EUR 762.22) and excludes cargoes manifested for destinations out of Côte d'Ivoire.

The following steps apply for the shipper/consignee:

• A proforma commercial invoice has to be sent by the shipper to the consignee in Abidjan
• The consignee gives the profoma commercial invoice to Cotecna or Bivac
• Cotecna or Bivac establish the F.R.I. and transmit the F.R.I. number to their correspondent at origin
• The shipper gives Maersk Line the F.R.I. number (b/l instructions) and this number should appear on the b/l
• The cargo inspection is performed at origin

Tracking Note

In order to monitor all Côte d'Ivoire volumes, the Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (OIC - the Ivorian Shippers Council) has introduced a Bordereau de Suivi de Cargaison (BSC) - a cargo tracking note. Custom clearance is not possible without the BSC and cargo can consequently not be delivered.

Also to speed on clearances within 48 hrs Ivory Coast Customs has set new import procedure which allows importers to get the BSC number locally and thus anticipate clearance process. No BSC requested for cargo into transit for Mali or Burkina Faso.

Freight collect procedures in Côte d'Ivoire
The Freight Collect is accepted in Côte d'Ivoire.

Freight Collect Administrative Fee: 5% of Total Amount to be collected (Freight+Local Charges)

Documents requested for import cargo releasing

• For every shipment coming to Ivory Coast, either Consignee or Notify must be located in Ivory Coast or in a neighbouring country (Burkina Faso/Mali/Ghana). Consignee Addresses in Europe or Asia are not accepted on Bill of Lading/Manifest. For any further information please contact ci.import@maersk.com
• Pallets is not accepted as a package description.
• General cargo is not accepted as cargo description. A more detailed description is required.
• Commodity restriction: Retread tyres.
• Weight restrictions for Ivory Coast: 20', 40' standard & High Cube acceptable upto payload capacity. 45' containers not acceptable.
• Acceptance for Burkina Faso: Rail movement (SITARAIL) from/to Abidjan; Gross weight not to exceed 28 MT for 20 ft and 30 MT for 40 ft . Out of Gauge (OOG) only acceptable based on special request and quotation.

Import deadline

Sydam release: Eta - 3
arrival notification : Eta - 1
“Eclatement De Ligne” – Cargo line split on manifest: Eta - 3