The Cameroon National Shippers’ Council (CNCC) has officially suspended the requirement for the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (BESC) on the Douala-N’Djamena and Douala-Bangui corridors. This significant administrative shift, effective immediately, follows a directive signed by Director General Auguste Mbappe Penda. The suspension applies to all logistics stakeholders, including shippers, licensed customs brokers, freight forwarders, and transporters handling goods destined for Chad and the Central African Republic via Cameroonian territory.
First introduced in 2006, the BESC was designed to provide cargo traceability, clarify transport costs, and generate trade statistics. However, enforcing this requirement for goods in simple transit became a source of ongoing tension with Chadian and Central African operators. These stakeholders frequently argued that the tracking note added redundant formalities and increased the financial burden on routes leading from the Port of Douala.
A strategic concession from the N’Djamena forum
This decision is a direct result of recommendations made during the 5th tripartite forum between Chad, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic, held in May 2026 in N’Djamena. The summit focused on improving transit efficiency along the trans-Cameroonian axis, highlighting the technical and administrative obstacles that have slowed the movement of freight toward N’Djamena and Bangui.
Internal assessments within the CNCC suggest that the system’s failures were partly due to poor data integration between the various shippers’ councils in the CEMAC zone. Paradoxically, a digital tool intended to simplify monitoring ended up complicating logistics. The current suspension serves both a technical and political purpose, remaining in place until regional IT platforms can be properly harmonized.
While authorities in Chad and the Central African Republic have welcomed the move as a positive gesture, it is important to note that other traceability mechanisms managed by Cameroonian customs remain fully active for all transit cargo.
Protecting 410 billion FCFA in annual revenue
For Cameroon, the stakes of this decision are high. Annual transit activities from Chad and the Central African Republic contribute over 410 billion FCFA to Cameroonian customs revenue. This income is tied directly to the Port of Douala, which serves as the primary maritime gateway for these landlocked Sahelian and Central African nations. Any decline in the corridor’s efficiency risks driving trade toward competing regional ports.
The threat of diversion is real. Chad has been exploring logistics alternatives through the port of Lagos in Nigeria or routes via Sudan. Meanwhile, the Central African Republic frequently considers the Congolese corridor through Pointe-Noire. In this competitive environment, any procedure seen as an unnecessary hurdle encourages neighbors to diversify their access to the sea. Removing the BESC for transit goods is therefore a defensive strategy as much as it is a trade facilitation measure.
Long-term reforms still required
Regional transporters and shippers have praised the initiative but insist that more work is needed. Numerous checkpoints along the Douala-N’Djamena route, irregular practices at police and customs stops, and lengthy port processing times continue to inflate logistics costs. Without addressing these structural issues, the impact of suspending the tracking note may be limited.
The challenge for Cameroonian authorities now lies in balancing document simplification with administrative oversight. Modernizing information systems, improving coordination between agencies, and eliminating redundant checks will be essential for the trans-Cameroonian corridor to remain the top choice for regional freight. This suspension marks the beginning of a long-awaited reform agenda for CEMAC operators.
