• The ECTN is now compulsory for all imports and exports entering Somali ports.

• Non-compliant shipments face rejection, fines, seizures, or license suspension.

• The measure centralizes port revenues and strengthens transparency and security.

Somalia is strengthening port governance with the enforcement of mandatory use of the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN). Since late September, the system, introduced in February 2023, has become compulsory for all imports and exports passing through the country’s ports, according to a notice from the Ministry of Ports and Maritime Transport.

Importers must now obtain an ECTN through the official platform ctnsomalia.com before any loading or unloading, and the number must appear on the bill of lading. Any shipment without a valid electronic certificate will be rejected. The government warns that violators face fines, asset seizures, license suspensions, or criminal prosecution under current legislation.

Designed to improve transparency in trade flows, strengthen maritime security, and combat fraud, the ECTN also plays a strategic recentralization role. It ends the exclusive control that Somaliland, Puntland, and Jubbaland previously exercised over port revenues, which had been collected without direct supervision from the federal government.

Although the ECTN has been in place since 2023, implementation had remained partial and uneven across ports. Its full adoption aligns Somalia with a broader continental trend, as more than 24 African countries already require this type of electronic certificate to reduce tax losses and improve customs oversight.

By making the ECTN mandatory, Somalia aims to standardize port management, close traceability gaps, and regain control over long-fragmented trade circuits. The measure is particularly strategic given that Somali ports handle nearly 95 % of the goods consumed in the country and are one of the main sources of non-tax public revenue, essential for state financing.

Samira Njoya