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Information Pays> Afrique de l’Ouest > Côte d'Ivoire Agency
Details DELMAS CI - CMA CGM Group Click here for a list of all OTAL agency offices
Abidjan
Port Information [ Port Infrastructure ] [ OTAL Services ] Abidjan is the chief port, capital (de facto; legislative), and largest city of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). It lies along the Ébrié Lagoon, which is separated from the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic by the Vridi Plage sandbar. A village in 1898, it became a town in 1903. Abidjan was a rail terminus from 1904 but had to depend on the meagre facilities of Port-Bouët on the sandbar's ocean shore. It succeeded Bingerville as capital of the French colony in 1934 and retained that position after independence in 1960. Districts within the city include Plateau, Cocody (site of the National University of Côte d'Ivoire), Treichville, Adjame, Koumassi, and Marcory. The Vridi Canal opened the lagoon to the sea in 1950, and the city soon became the major shipping and financial centre of French-speaking West Africa. The first of two bridges linking the mainland to Petit-Bassam Island was built in 1958. Abidjan port is the largest, most modern port in West Africa. It has the vital combination of a central and accessible location as well as a developed transport infrastructure. It is a major transit point for West and Central African states using the relatively advanced Ivorian road and rail system. Thanks to the opening of the Vridi canal, this freshwater port handles 90% of the commercial trade to and from Côte d'lvoire. Trade to and from the region has grown over recent years. Since 1994 OTAL has tripled its number of port calls to Abidjan which is now one of the busiest ports along the coast. The port of Abidjan has a water surface area of almost 2,500 acres, divided into anchoring berths, and mooring buoys for loading rough timber. The land area of 50 acres of warehouses, several specialized facilities includes a banana boatloading dock,a log depot,and an offshore tanker mooring berth linked to the Ivorian Refinery Company by a 17,000-foot pipeline In terms of trade and commodities, Côte d'Ivoire is the world's third largest exporter of cocoa beans, estimated figures for 1998/9 export is some 1.2m tonnes. Southbound trade to the region consists mainly of consumerables such as foodstuffs, equipment, machinery, manufactured goods (plastics/building materials,cosmetics) and pharmaceuticals. Northbound trade is increasingly vigorous, with export commodities such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, cotton, timber, fruit, fish - frozen and tinnedand vegetables. Abidjan is becoming the largest fishing harbor in West Africa; its fleet includes trawlers, tuna and sardine fishing boats. More than 200,000 tons of fish are processed yearly in cold storage. The port of Abidjan has in total 6km of quay with 34 berths including specialised terminals for containers, timber, fruits, cereals and hydrocarbons.
Click here to view our local agent, SAGA's access and infrastructural review on Abidjan & San Pedro port Transport
News Cote d'Ivoire Inks Interim Trade Deal With EU The interim deal will provide for the gradual abolition of trade taxes, notably tariffs on goods imported into Ivory Coast from Europe, except for a limited list of "sensitive products" drawn up during more than a week of detailed negotiations. The agreement is effective from Jan. 1 but may not be signed until June. It forsees dismantling of tariffs over 15 years on 80 percent of goods entering the former French colony. The European Union will compensate Ivory Coast for lost tariff and customs income and provide expertise to help local industries, particularly food processors, become more efficient to withstand competition from European imports. As part of tax reforms required to comply with WTO rules, a 220 CFA/kg ($0.49) export tax on cocoa, a major source of income, would be repackaged as a tax levied earlier in the supply chain before the export stage. [Reuters 07/12/07] San Pedro Port Celebrates 35 Years Revival and Development of San Pedro’s Port Activities During the commemorations of the 9th Anniversary of Independence, President Houphouët-Boigny summed up the objectives of this operation in his speech to the Nation on the 6th of August 1969: “San Pedro represents for us the hope to revive a whole region... In a word, to create a development hub which will contribute to balance our economy. It represents faith in the future and our will to give the country an infrastructure adapted to our needs”. This operation has been in many respects an economic success. From a little fishing village of about 40 inhabitants before the launch of the project, San Pedro’s population reached 28,000 in 1975, 71,000 in 1988 and 150,848 in 1998. San Pedro’s gross local product [GLP] amounts to FCFA 229bn, or slightly over 4% of Cote d’Ivoire’s GDP. As a comparison, the GLP of Ivorian cities excepting Abidjan is FCFA 29bn. The GLP per capita of San Pedro is estimated at FCFA 840,000. As such, San Pedro is one of the cities which contributes the more to the Ivorian GDP. Port activity generates about 40,000 direct or indirect jobs. However, because the development of its hinterland was postponed following the crisis of the 1980s, port traffic has not grown as expected. From 850,000 tonnes in 1972, traffic grew regularly to reach 1,549,000t in 1980, but stagnates today at around 1,2 million tonnes. From the analysis of San Pedro’s port traffic, it emerges that exports of basic commodities [coffee, cocoa, timber and rubber] represent the major part of trade flows. Imports of cement, food and other products represent 20% of total traffic. The structural unbalance of San Pedro’s port traffic led President Laurent Gbagbo to declare on 4 September 2002: “I do not want to see the Port of San Pedro as a half port. I want it to be a port in its own right. And I will do anything in my capacity to do so”. The Port Authority, conscious of the many challenges, has drawn a master plan highlighting its ambition to make of San Pedro a modern port, engine of Cote d’Ivoire’s development and the sub-region’s integration. The implementation of this plan has been somewhat compromised by the military and political crisis of September 2002. But the emphasis has been put on the infrastructure and equipment rehabilitation programme, completed at 80%. This ambition has been reaffirmed in the second business plan 2007-2009. The enhancement of the socio-political climate since the signature of the Ouagadougou agreement on 4 March 2004 opens new prospects for the achievement of the port’s development goals. To this end, the Port Authority proposes to deepen the reflection on the issues of revival and development in order to make of San Pedro a port in its own right, as envisaged by the President. 2. Main Objective 3. Specific Objectives 4. Expected Results 5. Methodology 6. Organization of the 35th Anniversary Commemorations Ivory Coast To Expand West Africa's Biggest Port Construction work could begin as early as 2008 but no clear timetable has been elaborated as yet. President Gbagbo said the project would cost around 75 billion CFA of which two thirds were available now. It will also cost an additional 35 billion CFA francs to deepen the Vridi Canal linking the lagoon-side port to the open sea to 14m depth from 11.m, enabling larger ships to access the port. This would bring the overall cost of the expansion project to 110 billion CFA francs. Activity slowed at Abidjan's state-controlled port when a 2002-2003 civil war left the northern half of the country under rebel control, causing landlocked countries to the north to turn to other regional ports to move goods. Now that a March peace accord has breathed new life into national reconciliation moves, the port hopes to capitalise by recovering lost business from these expanding economies. [Reuters 02/10/07] Fuel Convoy Tests Road Link In Post-War Ivory Coast Moussa Ouedraogo, head of an Abidjan-based association of Burkinabe importers, said the convoy was a test of Ivory Coast's commitment to improving road transport for Burkina-bound hauliers. More goods would move by road if it was a success. Road blocks in Ivory Coast, have multiplied since the civil war, generating income for police and soldiers who extort small sums from motorists and taxi drivers but much larger amounts from heavy goods vehicles. At a meeting at Abidjan's port, Prime Minister Soro promised to meet both government and rebel forces to reduce the number of roadblocks. Local media cited the director of the Ivorian Freight Office [OIC] as saying one truck driver who went from Abidjan port to Ouangolo in the far north had to pay a total of 1 million CFA [$2,160] to pass through the many roadblocks. The government is now looking to expand Abidjan port's capacity, expecting an economic revival. Burkina Faso has also resumed exports of cotton bales to Abidjan port by road weeks. [Reuters 26/09/07] Ivory Coast GDP To Grow By 2.5% In 2008 A programme of strict control on state spending and debt issues in the domestic
bond market was aimed at allowing Ivory Coast to meet its debts to multilateral
lenders such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The 2008 budget
will increase slightly to 2,000 billion CFA francs [$4.30 billion] versus 1,965
billion CFA for 2007. Ivory Coast is tottering under a foreign debt of some
8,000 billion CFA francs -- four times its annual budget -- and domestic obligations
totalling some 325 billion CFA. Repaying outstanding debts to multilaterals
would also allow the Ivory Coast to regain access to fresh loans to press ahead
with flagship infrastructure projects, such as the expansion of the new capital
at Yamoussoukro and a tripling of the size of Abidjan port. [Reuters 04/10/07] Ivory Coast To Expand West Africa's Biggest Port Construction work could begin as early as 2008 but no clear timetable has been elaborated as yet. President Gbagbo said the project would cost around 75 billion CFA of which two thirds were available now. It will also cost an additional 35 billion CFA francs to deepen the Vridi Canal linking the lagoon-side port to the open sea to 14m depth from 11.m, enabling larger ships to access the port. This would bring the overall cost of the expansion project to 110 billion CFA francs. Activity slowed at Abidjan's state-controlled port when a 2002-2003 civil war left the northern half of the country under rebel control, causing landlocked countries to the north to turn to other regional ports to move goods. Now that a March peace accord has breathed new life into national reconciliation moves, the port hopes to capitalise by recovering lost business from these expanding economies. [Reuters 02/10/07] Fuel Convoy Tests Road Link In Post-War Ivory Coast Moussa Ouedraogo, head of an Abidjan-based association of Burkinabe importers, said the convoy was a test of Ivory Coast's commitment to improving road transport for Burkina-bound hauliers. More goods would move by road if it was a success. Road blocks in Ivory Coast, have multiplied since the civil war, generating income for police and soldiers who extort small sums from motorists and taxi drivers but much larger amounts from heavy goods vehicles. At a meeting at Abidjan's port, Prime Minister Soro promised to meet both government and rebel forces to reduce the number of roadblocks. Local media cited the director of the Ivorian Freight Office [OIC] as saying one truck driver who went from Abidjan port to Ouangolo in the far north had to pay a total of 1 million CFA [$2,160] to pass through the many roadblocks. The government is now looking to expand Abidjan port's capacity, expecting an economic revival. Burkina Faso has also resumed exports of cotton bales to Abidjan port by road weeks. [Reuters 26/09/07] Ivory Coast GDP To Grow By 2.5% In 2008 A programme of strict control on state spending and debt issues in the domestic bond market was aimed at allowing Ivory Coast to meet its debts to multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The 2008 budget will increase slightly to 2,000 billion CFA francs [$4.30 billion] versus 1,965 billion CFA for 2007. Ivory Coast is tottering under a foreign debt of some 8,000 billion CFA francs -- four times its annual budget -- and domestic obligations totalling some 325 billion CFA. Repaying outstanding debts to multilaterals would also allow the Ivory Coast to regain access to fresh loans to press ahead with flagship infrastructure projects, such as the expansion of the new capital at Yamoussoukro and a tripling of the size of Abidjan port. [Reuters 04/10/07] Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Land Locked Traders Hesitant To Resume
Trade To Ivorian Ports In 2002, Côte d'Ivoire was split into a rebel-held north and government-controlled south, effectively cutting links between ports and northern states. The division occurred after a failed coup staged by rebel troops who accused authorities of marginalising people in the north, as well as residents of foreign origin. A peace accord was signed in Ouagadougou [Burkina Faso], in March. Rebel leader Guillaume Soro was subsequently appointed prime minister in a power-sharing government, and a United Nations buffer zone between north and south dismantled. President Laurent Gbagbo has also spoken of holding elections before the end of the year. Nonetheless, Malian traders are cautious about conducting business as they had done before the split. After the crisis began in Côte d'Ivoire in 2002, Mali had more than 8 million tonnes of goods blocked at the port of Abidjan. The Malian government had been obliged to sign agreements with countries such as Ghana and Togo to provide alternative routes for the goods. From these countries, freight could be taken through Burkina Faso en route to Mali. This transit through Ghana and Burkina Faso cost traders a lot of money, with estimates reaching some US$6 million; and, many businesspeople who were not financially secure went bankrupt. Instead, traders now prefer to wait until matters in Côte d'Ivoire have returned to normal before using the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro. Nigerien exporters also emphasise that the strife in Cote d’Ivoire also effected other forms of cross-border trade. The importance of commercial relations between the two countries is not only in terms of port transit, but also in exchanges of Ivorian manufactured goods and products from the Nigerien agriculture sector. Products such as vegetable oil, construction materials, butane gas, soap and plastic goods are imported by Nigeriens from Côte d'Ivoire and the Ivorian market offers a large outlet for Nigerien products such as onions, and cattle. More than 30% of Nigerien onions are exported to Côte d'Ivoire. Many Nigerien traders are also waiting for normality to resume in Côte d'Ivoire before continuing use of the country's ports. Economists believe such hesitations are justified. The continental Sahelian countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger were affected by the socio-political crisis in Côte d'Ivoire, noting that 75% of imports to these countries are channelled through Abidjan's port facilities. In addition, this crisis revealed a certain lack of foresight on the part of traders in land-locked Francophone countries of the Sahel, which had never thought to look for a diversification of their sources of supplies. According to port authorities in Abidjan, freight exchanged between Côte d'Ivoire and countries of the Sahel declined dramatically as a result of the political difficulties, going from about 1.4 million tonnes in 2002 to just over 200,000 tonnes in 2003, a decrease of 85.%. For Burkina Faso, the main foreign client for the port of Abidjan, it fell from 27,719 tonnes in 2003 to 471 tonnes in 2002, or by some 94%. In a bid to renew trading ties, port officials started holding meetings in Côte d'Ivoire's land-locked neighbours towards the end of July. Speaking in Ouagadougou, the director of the port of Abidjan, Marcel Gossio, noted that there would be a resumption of escorts for convoys travelling between Sahelien countries and Ivorian ports. Those using Ivorian roads are often subject to extortion by security forces, both soldiers under rebel control, and troops loyal to the government. [IPS 26/08/07] Flame Of Peace: Symbol Of National Reconciliation In Cote d'Ivoire The "flame of peace", a highly symbolic ceremony, marked the official launch of the disarmament and reconciliation process in Cote d'Ivoire. The ceremony was attended by several other African heads of state, including President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, President Amadou Toumani Toure of Mali, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, President Yayi Boni of Benin and President Bernardo Vieira of Guinea Bissau. [Xinhua 31/07/07] Blocking Roads, Blocking Peace Billon says he has travelled some 10,000km throughout the country by car after which he wrote a letter to several government ministers, including defence, interior, justice and human rights, calling for an end to abuse and extortion by security forces on the roads. "These barriers to the free movement of people and goods... slow down our economy and stifle trade within the country." After a recent symbolic flame of peace ceremony now all that Ivorians wish for is to be able to travel throughout their country without facing unbelievable abuse and bribery on the roads. President Billon said he worried this problem would sow trouble at exactly the time Côte d'Ivoire needs stability most. "This problem weakens the social fabric; this must be fixed if we really want peace." [IRIN 02/08/07] India Doubles Trade With Ivory Coast Probe Into Assassination Attempt Against Prime Minister There is intense speculation about who was responsible for the attack and how it will affect the peace process. Some blame dissident rebels, angry that their leader has joined hands with President Laurent Gbagbo. Others allege the president's camp was behind the attack. After a cabinet meeting on 11/07/07, a number of measures were announced to reassure the country of its determination not to be deterred by the failed assassination attempt. · President Gbagbo is now scheduled to
visit the northern city of Bouake, the stronghold for Mr Soro's New
Forces group, on 30 July.
It will be his first visit to the north since the start of the war
nearly four years ago. Côte D’Ivoire Offers Attractive Climate
For Investors Abidjan- Yamoussoukro Highway Currently the Government of Cote d’Ivoire are inviting tenders for this project. [20/06/07 Ambassade de Cote d’Ivoire] Yamoussoukro-Bouaké Tollway Jacqueville Toll Bridge Abidjan
Urban Train System San Pedro Port
Rehabilitation - Q&A San Pedro Launches Tender Phase 1 Phase
2 The execution of this plan will give San Pedro's Port increased merchandise storage and ships reception capacity and will encourage the establishment of marine related industries. Ivorian Unity Government Unveiled / Buffer Zone Removed The new government includes six new ministerial appointees but leaves many portfolios unchanged from the previous unity cabinet of Charles Konan Banny, the interim prime minister. The number of ministers was cut by three to 33. The key defence portfolio went to a loyalist of Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front, Michel Amani N'Guessan, who will oversee the formation of joint forces and the removal of a buffer zone between the rebel-held north and government-controlled south. Charles Koffi Diby became economy and finance minister. He previously held the portfolio as minister delegate on behalf of Banny, who stepped down this week to make way for Soro. Amadou Gon Coulibaly, an ally of northern political opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, remained agriculture minister. Ivory Coast's "G7" opposition group - which includes the former ruling Democratic Party [PDCI] and Ouattara's Rally of the Republicans - welcomed the new cabinet. Fernand Marcel Amoussou, commander of UN peacekeepers in Ivory Coast, said the 7,000-strong force, backed by French troops, would start withdrawing on April 16. France will also pull out 500 of its 3,500 peacekeepers after the deal. [Aljazeera 07/04/07] Ivorian Chosen As African Shipper Council President San Pedro Port To Be Renovated · installation and asphalting the1.5 km road linking the commercial
port to the timber yard The main aim of the project is improvement in performance, infrastructure development and heighten security of the maritime operations. However financial support is also needed to asphalt access roads to Mali, Guinea and Liberia.Click here to view the tender documents. [FM 11/04/07] SYDAM System Started Ivorian Leaders Sign Peace Agreement New Procedure For Humanitarian Cargo Abidjan Scanner Is Now Working Fiscal Identity Number - Abidjan CTBL We have been informed that Abidjan customs require not only the number but a copy of the IFU form in order to complete Custom formalities. A copy of this form must be obtained from the receiver by the shipper in order to process the CTBL documentation. [OTAL Agent 22/02/07] Project
For Dedicated Ro-Ro Quays Bridge
To Link Abidjan And Jacqueville Advance Warning: New Cargo Clearance Procedure to be
Launched in Abidjan Ivory Coast To Reinstate Port Officials Abidjan Port Scanner Abidjan Port -
Invoicing & ISPS Tax Cargo Clearance in Abidjan Port Transhipment Numbers To Be Incorporated Into SYDAM Ivory Coast Toxic Waste Protest Blocks Abidjan
Port Roads - 09/10/06 Toxic Waste Effects Capital / Petrol Shortage
- 18/09/06 Port Scanner - 14/09/06 SYDAM System Upgrade - 14/09/06 BSC Certificate Available On Arrival [For Non-Internet
Connected Customers] - 21/06/06 The OIC advise that this solution is available only for countries where shippers are unable to connect to the internet or are not aware of the BSC procedure. [OTAL Local Agent 21/06/06] Road Between Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina
Faso Opens - 14/05/06 New BSC to Be Implemented June 1st - 14/05/06 Cote d’Ivoire Loses Out on Traffic to Togo
- 02/02/06 The PAA aims to increase traffic by 5-6% during 2006 by offering customers
tax advantages and reducing customs procedures. [Republic of Togo Website
02/02/06] UN Extends Sanctions - 25/01/06 OTAL calls at the Vridi Container Terminal, berths 23-25. This terminal offers 960m of quay comprising of 2x11.5m berths, 2x12.5m berths and 1x12.5m deep ro-ro berth. It also has 25ha of paved container yards and a storage area for reefer containers. Vridi Terminal also has a customs office on site. Vridi terminal has two heavy gantry cranes with an outreach of 35.2m to 40 tonnes. There is also a number of 40 tonnes telescopic spreaders and 25 tonnes 20' spreaders available. Handling equipment includes a full range of spreaders and forklifts. Shipping Agency OTAL operates a range of transport services complementing its regular liner operations. These include West African terminal operations and liner agency services, customs clearance, cargo consolidation, airfreight handling, storage and warehousing, project logistics and trucking. OTAL is represented in Côte d'Ivoire by SAGA, an agency offers a full liner agency and stevedoring service including documentation, husbandry together with bunkering, port clearance, husbandry, stevedoring and vessel security. SAGA has full range of handling equipment and a large fleet of trucks and trailers including specialised ro-ro equipment and experienced drivers. Inland Trucking Services Abidjan is the major transit port for Mali and Burkina Faso.There is a 1250km stretch of railway leading from Abidjan port to Kaya in the NW of Burkina and some 5,400 km of tarred roads serving the borderlands. OTAL offers through transport services using a single document, the Combined Transport Bill of Lading (CBTL). With track and trace facilities in place we are able to track exactly where your cargo is every step of the way. For more information from inland services from Abidjan please click here. Contacts
and Links Port Autonome d’Abidjan Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (OIC) Port Autonome de San Pedro [PASP]
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