Gabon BIETC Certificate

Gabon BIETC — What It Is and Why It’s Required

All ocean freight shipments destined for Gabon require a BIETC (Bureau d’Inspection et de Contrôle Technique et de Conditionnement) certificate. This is Gabon’s mandatory pre-shipment certification document, functioning as a cargo clearance prerequisite at the port of discharge — similar to how a visa works for people, but applied to cargo.

The BIETC must be pre-validated before the vessel departs. All approvals for the BIETC are processed through the Libreville CGC (Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie) office. Gabon’s primary commercial ports are Libreville (the capital and main port) and Port-Gentil (the oil industry hub and second commercial port).

Required Documents

To obtain a Gabon BIETC, submit clear PDF copies of:

• Bill of Lading — original or draft; original required for final validation
• Commercial Invoice — must show accurate cargo value with Incoterms
• Freight Invoice — required if freight cost is not broken out on the commercial invoice
• Customs Declaration

All documents must be fully final and consistent before submission. Amendments after pre-validation are not standard and may incur significant additional charges.

Processing Time — Origin-Dependent Deadlines

Gabon has a unique feature: the processing deadline is determined by the origin of the shipment, not a fixed number of days:

Origin	Maximum Time from Vessel Departure
Africa	5 days
Europe	10 days
Americas / Asia / Australia	14 days

These are maximum allowable times — not targets. Plan for a full week from document submission. If you are shipping from Asia or the Americas with a short booking lead time, start the BIETC process immediately upon confirming the booking.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Gabon’s penalties for non-compliant cargo are among the most severe in West/Central Africa:

• Fines of several times the freight value — non-compliance penalties are calculated as a multiple of the freight amount, not a fixed fee
• Cargo detention at Libreville or Port-Gentil port until documentation is resolved
• Demurrage and storage charges accumulating throughout the delay

Given the penalty scale, the cost of obtaining the BIETC on time is a small fraction of what a fine would cost. Do not skip this step.

What Products Cannot Be Imported Into Gabon?

Standard Central African import restrictions apply:

• Animals and animal by-products from areas with active epizootic diseases
• Plants from areas affected by epiphytic diseases
• Certain distilled and spirituous beverages
• Pornographic materials and gambling equipment

We do not issue BIETC certificates for prohibited goods.

Gabon Trade — Key Figures

Gabon is a middle-income country in Central Africa, with oil and manganese as the primary exports. The country’s import volume runs at approximately 3 billion USD annually. Key imports include machinery, vehicles, food products, and construction materials. France, China, and Belgium are major trading partners. Despite its relatively small population (approximately 2.3 million), Gabon’s high GDP per capita drives strong import demand for consumer goods and industrial equipment.

FAQ

What does BIETC stand for? Bureau d’Inspection et de Contrôle Technique et de Conditionnement — Gabon’s official technical inspection and cargo documentation body. The BIETC certificate is issued by this authority as a prerequisite for customs clearance.

How early should I apply if shipping from Asia? As soon as you confirm your booking. For Asia-origin shipments, you have up to 14 days from vessel departure, but given transit times to Libreville, you should not leave this until the last moment. Apply immediately.

What happens if I miss the deadline? Non-compliance penalties of several times the freight value apply. This is one of the more severe penalty structures in African shipping — don’t risk it.

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