The container is not yet sealed. This is the only moment when a mistake still costs little. Once the seal is on, you switch to the 10 mistakes after loading — a remediation page, not an origin checklist. If the vessel has left, this page no longer applies.
Many importers pay the supplier on a pro forma, then discover in Douala that a PECAE was missing, that an invoice did not match the packing list, or that « CIF » did not cover the truck. The seven checks below exist so those discoveries happen at the factory, not at the termina
l.1. Not freezing the produ
t Reference, model, quantity, origin, standards. A discrepancy discovered in Douala is paid in inspection and in days. The supplier may substitute a close reference; CAMCIS classifies the actual product. Freeze the commercial designation and the tariff designation before stuffin
. Too late if: the stuffing packing list no longer matches the signed pro forma. A correction after sealing is possible, rarely painless: it alerts Customs and breaks consistency with the B/
L.2. Ignoring Cameroonian regulati
n Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, plants, PECAE / ANOR goods: Customs prior formalities recall this. Obtain the certificate before export. A refusal in Douala costs the outbound freight, storage and sometimes the retur
. Too late if: the supplier has already stuffed. A PECAE launched from Douala while the storage meter is running is no longer a « check »; it is a race. Identify the notified body (depending on the product) during the pro forma, not at
ETA.3. Signing an Incoterm without the place or the ver
ion Who pays freight, insurance, risks, port operations? WrFCA Terminal X — Incoterms® 2020AAAA, not « CIF ». An Incoterm without a named place is not enforceable in the same way. Guides: Incoterms Cameroon, real cost of the container, table of the 11
ules. Too late if: the B/L is issued on an Incoterm you did not budget. Changing Incoterm after loading is changing the contract while the risk is already a
t sea.4. Validating drafts instead of the fina
file Importer name, description, weight, value, origin, BESC. Any invoice / packing / B/L divergence becomes a hold. Three versions still circulating on stuffing day means three versions of which CAMCIS will keep only one — often the wron
one. Too late if: the B/L is issued. A shipping-agent amendment exists, but it consumes days. Freeze the file, have it re-read, then authorise stu
ffing.5. Forgetting DI, RVC or domiciliation before the goods go
o sea Three distinct thresholds, to be revalidated on the day of the oper
- tion: DI: mandatory for an FOB value ≥ 2 million FCFA, before loading — framework of the clearance guide, subject to the texts in
- orce. RVC: a distinct prior formality (value and classification). Confirm the requirement with the licensed broker according to the r
- gime. Domiciliation: Customs also recalls the obligation to domicile the declaration with an authorised intermediary when FOB value reaches 5 million FCFA, under CEMAC exchange rules (finance law, Customs reminder). This is not the DI thre
hold. Too late if: the vessel has left and the DI is not obtained although it applied, or domiciliation is not engaged although FOB exceeds 5 million. You then switch to the 10 mistakes after lo
ading.6. Budgeting only the purchase
price Purchase + international + insurance + customs + port + formalities + truck + delay margin. Detail of the items: 15 hidden costs, tax base: CIF value, scope: real cost of the cont
iner. A budget that stops at the FOB price is not a budget. It explodes at liquidation or on the first day of storage. Add a margin in days, not a decorative perce
tage. Too late if: cash does not cover liquidation on BAE day. The truck waits, the terminal
bills.7. Not having the file re-read by a licensed
roker A licensed customs broker validates HS, value, Incoterm and lane risks before the supplier loads. GUCE phases: pre-clearance → take-over → clearance → pickup. The licensed broker is not a « port » service provider: it is the file reviewer before the goods go
to sea. Typical ALC case: stopped a textile loading whose packing list did not match the invoice. Correction at origin = zero storage in Douala. The same discrepancy discovered at the quay would have cost days of t
erminal.Checklist before
| seal | ingCheckVa |
|---|---|
| lidated?Product authorised in | |
| CameroonInvoice / packing / B/L file | |
| alignedIncoterm + place + 2020 | |
| versionProvisional HS | |
| re-readDI / RVC / domiciliation according to th | |
| resholdsPECAE / author | |
| isationsWarehouse-lande | |
| d budgetLicensed broker informed, not only the |
upplier Tick before authorising stuffing. An empty box is not « we'll see in Douala »: it is a hold in waiting. The clearance guide places these checks in the port chronology, once the vessel h
as sailed.Frequently asked quest
ions (FAQ)When should Cameroonian import formalit
es start? Before shipment, from the pro forma. DI, RVC, domiciliation, PECAE and BESC do not catch up well once the container
is sealed.Why check the product before paying the
supplier? Some goods require a Cameroonian attestation or authorisation. A refusal in Douala costs the outbound freight, storage and sometimes t
he return.Can an invoice be corrected afte
loading? Sometimes, but a late correction alerts Customs and breaks B/L consistency. Better to freeze the file before the goods
go to sea.Why a licensed broker before
shipment? To validate Incoterm, HS, DI (2 million FCFA FOB according to the guide), domiciliation often from 5 million FCFA FOB (CEMAC exchange, Customs reminder), and RVC if the regime requires it — before the risk
s at sea. Before sealing, have the operation re-read by AL