Benin - How to Export Cotton

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Procedure

How to Apply
Establishment of the Transit order

1. You (exporter) start by contacting an approved broker to complete the customs formalities. You can physically present yourself at the agent's office or send him remotely (mail, telephone) the information/documents necessary for the exportation procedure i.e. (commercial invoice for the goods and packing list) {view the contact details of certified broker via this link} Link
2. The broker will then prepare a quotation base on the costs to be paid to all the structures/agencies that will intervene during the exportation processing for the goods to their destination, including the costs of the commission agent) basis on the information you {exporter} provide and issue the you a quotation slip.
3. If you accept the broker’s services, you will be required to pay for the broker fees either in cash or by check or by Bank transfer within one day, upon making payment, you will be issued with a transit order at the broker offices against {IFU registration certificate of the company or importer card}.

Obtain the phytosanitary certificate and the certificate of origin

1. The broker will then begin the initial process of exporting by first connecting to the Single Window for Foreign Trade Operations (GUOCE) website Link and makes the export request for processing of the certificate of origin (GUOCE) and phytosanitary certificate by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and the port's phytosanitary control post.
2. Within 5 days the authorized broker connects to the GUOCE website to obtain the BUP invoice issued by the General Directorate of Foreign Trade.
3. The authorized broker records the BUP number and present it to the teller at the central agency fund counter at either the Bank of Africa or ECOBANK office, who then confirms it against the GUOCE website and advice’s the broker to pay the amount indicates and then issues the BFU bank receipt.
4. After making payment the broker then re-connects to the GUOCE website within 5 days and checks whether the certificate of origin (GUOCE) and phytosanitary certificate have been issued by the competent authority and print them out if available.

Withdrawal of the empty container

1. On arrival of the ship, consignee connects to the Single Window Port Website Link and announce its arrival at the Port of Cotonou and notify the stevedore who will operate on the ship. A ship's call announcement number is assigned to the operation.
2. The authorized broker then contact/connects with a consignee operating company {see list of such company via this link} Link and book a space reservation, for the transportation of the consignment on the ship, the booking number will then be sent to the authorized broker via e-mail by the consignment company.
3. Upon receiving the email notification, the authorized broker, connects to the specific consignment operating company platform, he had filed the request with and downloads the release order.
4. The broker then heads to the COMAN SA office with the release order and submit it to the assistant client manager office to be verified by the customs agent who will then issues the scorecard.
5. The authorized broker goes to the Autonomous port of cotonou office and gives the necessary information (name of the driver and co-driver, date of arrival of the truck, name of the transit company and name of the authorized broker) to the billing agent to be entered to the SYGES platform and then establishment the called truck slip at a cost of CFCA 10,000 in cash.
6. The broker then heads to the contonou port office with the truck and submit the called truck slip to port agent to be certified, who then transmit it to the officer at the gatehouse at the port entrance who then checks truck against the SYGES platform information and then issue’s the called sealed truck document to the truck driver.
7. The driver goes to parking lot # 250 at the port to obtain the Macaron against the called sealed truck document at the Macaron issuing office.
8. Within 5 days the driver will be issued with the badge, a pair of armbands, macaron (with the release date) against the macaron by the port agent at the exit parking office.
9. The driver drives the truck to one of the warehousing operations (COMAN) at the contonou port and submit his (driver’s licence/tracking sheet) to the agent, who checks the number of the seal with which the container is sealed and registers it, he then connects to the GUP and checks if everything is ok in the system then issues the {identification ticket, tracking sheet, driver’s license} to the driver.
10. The driver then heads to the loading docks section and park the truck. The machinist (handling agent) unloads the container (s) from the truck using the forklift truck.
11. The agent then marks the number of the empty container loaded on the truck on the tracking sheet and returns the filled tracking sheet and the empty exit interchange to the driver. Note: these documents certify that the truck has left the park with an empty container.

Handling of the goods by the handler

1. The handing agent then connects to the GUP and notifies the system that the truck has left the COMAN fleet. This information is also transmitted to other partner structures (GUP, SIGES-Port, etc.).
2. The authorized broker connects to the GUP-SEGUB platform and creates the export file in the system and providing information on the number of containers, the weight of the goods, information on the driver, etc.
3. The approved freight forwarder approaches the stevedore to obtain his authorization to unload his goods on his fleet inside the port. The customer assistant agent verifies the interchange (empty outlet) and checks if the file was created in the Single Port Window (GUP) is in order and then issues the full return interchange document.
4. The authorized broker heads back to the cotonou port office with the truck and gives the necessary information (name of the driver and co-driver, date of arrival of the truck, name of the transit company and name of the authorized broker) to the billing agent to be verified in the SYGES platform and then establishment the called truck slip at a cost of CFCA 10,000 paid in cash.
5. The broker then submits the called truck document to the entrance 5 of cotonou port agent to be verified, who then connects to the port entry and exit management system (SYGES) to see the truck entering the port. It mentions the date, the hour of entry of the truck to the port and puts a stamp on the called truck and issue it to the truck driver.
6. The driver goes to parking lot # 250 at the port to obtain the badge authorizing him to collect the goods. The badge issuing agent connects to the SYGES port, checks if the entry report has been checked in the system and checks on the called party whether the stamp, date and time of arrival of the truck have been mentioned. The agent then notifies in the system that the truck has entered the parking lot and then prints the badge/armbands and returns driver’s license, full return interchange to the driver.
7. The customs agent then notifies/updates the system that the goods have been received and that the truck has left the COMAN fleet. This information is then transmitted in the systems of the partner structures (GUP, SIGES-Port, etc.).

Establishment of the customs declaration

1. The authorized broker then heads to Benin Chamber of Commerce and Industry offices and purchase the customs declaration forms, which is made up of bundles 5 sheets that are sold in multiples of 100 sheets against the CCIB payment receipt.
2. The broker then connects to the ASYCUDA system and enters the declaration of each bill of landing of the goods and obtain 5 copies of the import declaration documents for each of the following agencies i.e. {accounting/declaration/customs/CCIB/carrier}.
3. The broker then heads to the customs Port Recipe Office and submit the 5 copies import declaration file and the commercial invoice of goods to the customs inspector’s officer to be verified and obtain the importation declaration liquidated {declaration copy} and cleared imported declaration {carrier copy}.

Regulation of the single expense slip.

1. The broker then establishes and sends by email the boarding note to the consignment company which had rendered its services, the consignment company then prints and signs the form, then notifies the boarding vessel. He connects to the GUP system and checks if the handler has notified that he has already received the goods.
2. The broker then contact/connect a certified handler company and provide the necessary information and obtain a stevedoring invoice. {you can view list of such company via this link} Link
3. The broker will then receive a notification by e-mail, notifying him that the invoice that where being processed by the different structures via the Port Single Window platform i.e. (stevedore, PAC, CNCB, CNERTP, CCIB, SEGUB, GUOCE and Customs) have being verified, validated and obtains the BFU issued. Note: the authorized broker can follow the issuance of each invoice online via the GUP.
4. The broker then heads with the BFU issued invoice print out to either the Bank of Africa or ECOBANK and make payment against the BFU invoice and obtain a BFU Bank receipt.
5. The authorized broker connects to the GUP platform to check if the bank has validated the BFU fee payment transaction and download the ok BFU.

Establishment of the bill of landing

1. The broker then contact/ connects the specific consignee company that had render its services to him and provide the required information i.e. {Destination/ weight of the goods and payment details}, he also requests for the invoice in order to be able to settling the costs of purchasing the bill of lading or the totality of the costs owed to the consignee company for the services rendered and obtain bill of landing invoice.
2. The broker then heads to the consignee company preferred bank and make payment against the bill of landing invoice and obtain a consignee receipt {purchase bill of landing}.
3. The authorized broker, will be notified by email of his approval of the establishment of the bill of lading and that he authorizes the consignee company to print the original bill of lading, comes to withdraw the original and a copy of the bill of lading at the consignee company against the following documents {Draft of bill of landing, BFU ok, Consignee receipt, stevedore invoice}.

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Required Documents

• National identity card {exporter}
• commercial invoice for the goods
• packing list {number of packs, weight, packaging}
• IFU registration certificate of the company or importer card
• certificate of origin (GUOCE)
• phytosanitary certificate
• valid driver’s license
• Draft of bill of landing
• BFU ok
• Consignee receipt
• Stevedore invoice.
• 5 copies of the import declaration document i.e. {accounting/declaration/customs/CCIB/carrier}.

Office Locations & Contacts

WORLD SOCIETY FOR CONSIGNMENT AND TRANSIT
Address: Boulevard Saint Michel, Cotonou 04
BP 1186
Tel: +229 21 32 13 54
Fax: +229 21 32 13 48

List of Authorized Brokers in Benin link

List of handling company in Benin link

List of Consignee Company Link

GUOCE-SEGUB
Address: Residential zone, Cotonou 08
BP 0658
Tel: +229 21 31 99 88 / +229 21 31 99 89
Website:  Link

AUTONOMOUS PORT OF COTONOU
Cotonou 01
BP 837
Tel: +229 21 31 17 24 / +229 21 31 30 81 Website:  Link

BENIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Address: Cotonou 01
BP 31Tel: +229 21 31 12 38 / +229 21 31 20 81
Fax: +229 21 31 32 99
Email: [email protected]

ASYCUDA
Address, Cotonou 01
BP 400
Tel: +229 21 31 22 36
Email: [email protected]

CUSTOMS PORT RECIPE
Cotonou 01
BP 400
Tel: +229 21 31 22 36
Email: [email protected]

COMAN SA {GREQC}
Address: Zone OCBN, cotonou 01
BP 2826
Tel: +229 21 31 88 44
Fax: +229 21 31 60 97

GUP-SEGUB
Residential zone, Cotonou 08
BP 0658
Tel: +229 21 31 99 88 / +229 21 31 99 89
Website: link

Eligibility

• Authorized brokers hired by an exporter that wishes to export cotton from Benin

Fees

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Validity

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e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

• The estimate processing period between different steps {accumulatively) is within 2-7 days.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

To Access ASYCUDA system

• Make the declaration from his office if he has ASYCUDA access (the broker must be authorized; the application must be installed on his computer). or
• Use the computer and the internet connection made available in the unmarked room (computer room) of the customs office.

Required Information

• Exporters name
• Exporters address
• Exporters TIN/PIN
• Agents name
• Agents address
• Agents TIN processing/ clearing office
• Registration number
• Date of the intended export
• Country of destination of goods
• Tax invoice value
• Financial and banking data
• Identity, Date and Nationality of means of transport at boarder.
• Office of exit
• Location of goods
• Packages and distribution of goods
• Calculation of duties.

Need for the Document

• The exported cotton must be declared and comply with the customs rules and required standard as set by the Ministry of industry and Trade and other regulatory bodies to be allowed exit from Benin.

Information which might help

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Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• Benin Business Portal: Link
  

Others

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