Explainer: What Is the ECTN/SPN, and Why Are Ghana's Traders Pushing Back?

A mandatory cargo tracking certificate has been in and out of force since 2020. Its latest reintroduction has drawn a coordinated industry backlash on grounds of cost, duplication, and legal authority.

The Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) — rebranded in its latest iteration as the Smart Port Note (SPN) — is a pre-shipment documentation requirement that has become one of the most contested trade policy questions in Ghana's ports and logistics sector. Its most recent reintroduction by the Ghana Shippers' Authority (GSA), announced in December 2025, has triggered a coordinated pushback from traders, freight forwarders, and industry coalitions who argue the system adds cost without adding value.

What the ECTN/SPN Is

The Smart Port Note is a digital certificate issued for every Bill of Lading or Airwaybill. It acts as an advanced shipment information system, capturing cargo data before a vessel arrives at the port. Under the framework, every shipment must carry a unique SPN code, which must appear on the Bill of Lading. Cargo arriving without a valid code faces fines and clearance delays.

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) appointed Antaser Afrique, a Belgium-based company, as its technical partner for managing the ECTN/SPN. The shipper or their freight forwarder is required to obtain the certificate at the port of loading and submit it to Antaser Afrique for validation. The GSA has also entered into an agreement with the Inter-Ocean Maritime and Logistics Institute (IOMLI) to co-manage the system.

A Policy That Has Been Cancelled Before

The ECTN/SPN is not new to Ghana's trade policy landscape. The Ministry of Finance confirmed by press release on October 31, 2023, that no ECTN/SPN was required, a position that confirmed earlier instructions from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) dating back to August 2020. The current controversy stems from its reintroduction: the Ghana Shippers' Authority issued an official circular on December 23, 2025, announcing that all shipments destined to Ghana would be required to carry a valid SPN from February 1, 2026.

The January Postponement

The announcement immediately drew objections. Following a stakeholder meeting on January 19, 2026, the GSA issued a public notice on January 20 deferring the February 1 implementation date, stating that "certain issues have emerged that require further clarification and alignment with key stakeholders." The deferral did not signal a withdrawal of the policy, only a pause. As of the current period, the SPN requirement remains in force per subsequent GSA and Antaser Afrique communications, with the February 1 date now applying to shipments loaded on or after that date where compliance is being enforced.

The Core Objections

Industry opposition has coalesced around four main arguments.

Duplication. The Coalition of Concerned Exporters, Importers and Traders argues that the SPN duplicates functions already performed by Ghana's Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), which has provided cargo data, inventory history, and risk profiling since its introduction in June 2020. Coalition convener Michael Obiri-Adjei argues that ICUMS already functions as Ghana's Single Window platform, designed to receive all trade-related data including pre-arrival and pre-shipment information, with shipping lines and agents already submitting advanced manifest data weeks before vessels arrive.

Cost pass-through. The coalition warned that the SPN could impose an annual financial burden of between €187.2 million and €382.8 million on Ghanaian households. The estimate is based on Ghana's 2024 container traffic of 1,701,246 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and the fee structure from an earlier rollout attempt, and covers only full container load traffic — meaning the true cost could be higher. The coalition rejected government assurances that importers and consignees in Ghana would not be charged, arguing that fees levied on exporters at the port of origin would inevitably be passed on to Ghanaian buyers.

Private revenue extraction. The traders' statement argued that the initiative appears primarily designed to generate revenue for IOMLI and Antaser Afrique, contrary to the GSA's core mandate under the Ghana Shippers' Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122), which empowers the Authority to protect shippers from exploitative charges. The Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG), which represents shipping lines central to the policy's implementation, reportedly indicated it was not consulted before the announcement.

Legal authority. The coalition also questioned whether the GSA has the statutory authority to introduce a pre-shipment notification system, arguing that inspection and compliance functions fall under the GRA's destination inspection framework and that proceeding without GRA alignment risks regulatory overlap and weakened accountability.

The GSA's Position

The GSA argues the SPN is a necessary piece of baseline trade infrastructure, providing early visibility for port traffic and security management before cargo arrives, strengthening the reliability of logistics data, and aligning Ghana with systems used in the United States (Automated Manifest System), the European Union (Import Control System), Singapore, and South Korea. The Authority maintains that Ghanaian importers are not directly charged, as the fees are paid by exporters at the port of loading.

A Pattern Across the Region

The Coalition noted that ECTN-style regimes across Africa, from Nigeria to Sudan to Tanzania have faced legal challenges, vehement opposition, and repeated suspensions due to their perceived burdensome and duplicative nature, arguing the pattern represents a broader consensus rather than isolated complaints.

Latest Escalation

The tensions have broadened beyond the SPN. On March 31, 2026, the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), alongside the Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA), the Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG), and the Customs Brokers Association of Ghana (CUBAG), called for the immediate review or suspension of the Publican AI valuation system being deployed at Ghana's ports. Separately, the GIIF Aflao District issued an ultimatum to the Ministry of Finance on March 31, warning it would take lawful action if no response was received by April 7, 2026, describing recent trade and customs measures as burdensome and unjustifiable.

The ECTN/SPN dispute is now part of a wider standoff between Ghana's trade community and port authorities over the cumulative cost of compliance at the country's ports.