How to Import Building Materials from China to Togo

Togo is a compact market with an outsized port. Lomé is the only deep-water container port in the country and one of the main transshipment hubs on the Gulf of Guinea, which makes it a straightforward destination to import building materials from China to Togo — and, for some buyers, a gateway to Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. This guide covers the port, the documents (the BESC in particular), transit from South China, a category checklist and a timeline for villa, apartment and hotel projects in Lomé and beyond.

Port of Lomé and transit from South China

Item	Detail
Port	Port Autonome de Lomé — Togo's only deep-water container port
Role	Transshipment and transit gateway; handles over two million TEU a year
Origin ports we use	Guangzhou (Nansha) or Shenzhen (Yantian/Shekou), from the Foshan warehouse
Sea transit	Confirmed on your quote; depends on direct vs relay service
Clearance	Roughly 3–7 days when documents are complete (forwarder-published)
Onward transit	Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali by road corridor; separate BESC for destination country

Decoropic ships from Foshan and books with your forwarder or one we recommend with Lomé experience; your déclarant en douane (clearing agent) clears in Lomé.

Togo import documents

Document	Full name / note	Who
BESC	Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons (electronic cargo tracking note, also called ECTN/CTN); mandatory for all cargo entering Togo or in transit; must be completed before the goods arrive at Lomé and before the customs declaration	Importer or forwarding agent, filed on the export side through the appointed agent
Certificate of origin	Required by the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR); the customs declaration must include a valid certificate of origin and its reference number	Decoropic (issued in China)
Commercial invoice and packing list	Itemised; French or bilingual recommended	Decoropic
Bill of lading		Carrier via forwarder
Export declaration	Chinese export declaration	Decoropic
Permits for regulated goods	Not normally relevant to building materials; a 2020 decree requires pre-declaration with the Ministry of Trade for sensitive products	Importer

Two cautions. The BESC deadline is before vessel arrival, so the forwarder must apply as soon as the B/L is issued; late submission is possible at destination but adds cost and delay. And the certificate of origin is no longer optional paperwork — OTR requires its reference number on the declaration.

Confirm with your clearing agent whether any conformity verification currently applies to tiles, sanitaryware or electrical items.

Duties follow the WAEMU common external tariff bands (0, 5, 10, 20 and 35 percent, with exceptions) plus VAT at 18 percent on most goods, per the US Commercial Guide. Which band applies to each product is by HS code and should be confirmed by your clearing agent.

Category checklist

Category	Ship from China?	Notes
Custom kitchens & wardrobes	Yes	To site measurements; French shop drawings available
Doors & windows	Yes	Aluminium and uPVC; confirm openings
Sanitaryware & hardware	Yes
Lighting	Yes	220 V, Type C/E plugs
Furniture incl. hotel FF&E	Yes
Tiles & flooring	Yes	Weight-limited containers
Cement, rebar, aggregates	No	Local

All categories in Functional, Mid-Range and Premium tiers, consolidated at Foshan into one shipment.

For Lomé's coastal climate, ask for the coastal specification: moisture-resistant board for kitchens and wardrobes, stainless or coated hardware, powder-coated aluminium or uPVC windows with mosquito screens, IP65 exterior lighting and porcelain rather than ceramic floor tiles. These are standard options within each tier rather than upgrades.

Timeline

Phase	Weeks
Brief, drawings, pro forma	1–2
Production and consolidation at Foshan	4–8
Export documents, certificate of origin, BESC filing	1 (at loading)
Sea freight to Lomé	Confirmed on your quote — plan on several weeks
Clearing in Lomé	1
Delivery to site in Lomé or inland	Days to 2 weeks

Allow three to five months from brief to materials on site in Lomé; add corridor time for Ouagadougou, Niamey or Bamako.

Common delays and how to avoid them

Delay	Cause	Prevention
BESC not validated on arrival	Filed after sailing	Forwarder applies from the draft B/L; we send BESC data the day the B/L is issued
Certificate of origin reference missing	Document not sent ahead	We send the scan with the shipping documents before arrival
Description or HS query	Vague line descriptions	HS code per line; bilingual packing list by room
Demurrage	Clearing started late	Agent pre-lodges the declaration; duty funds ready before arrival
Over-weight container	Tiles loaded by volume	Load tiles to road weight limit; split if needed

Payment and order size

T/T or L/C; no minimum order. For Togo's typically smaller projects LCL is common for a single villa; a 20-foot container suits a villa with full tiling, and 40-foot HC for apartments or hotels.

Where Decoropic fits

Decoropic (Foshan Home Style Import & Export Co., Ltd., Foshan, est. 2011; founder with 26 years in trade and 20+ years in West Africa) has an office in Accra, Ghana, and no office in Togo. Lomé is less than 200 km from Accra, so Ghana is a practical reference base: the same products are installed in Accra projects, and buyers from Lomé can visit the Accra office. For Togo projects we design, source, consolidate at Foshan and ship to Port of Lomé with your forwarder or one we recommend; clearing and installation are local, supported remotely with shop drawings, numbered packing, video guides and WhatsApp.

FAQ

Who files the BESC? Your forwarder or clearing agent, through the appointed BESC agent, using our B/L, invoice and packing list. It must be validated before the vessel arrives in Lomé.

Can I use Lomé for a project in Burkina Faso or Niger? Yes. Lomé is a transit gateway; two BESCs are needed (Togo and destination country) and inland trucking is arranged by your forwarder.

Do you issue documents in French? Yes, bilingual French/English invoices, packing lists and drawings on request.

Can I see the products before ordering? At the Foshan warehouse, or at reference projects in Accra through our Ghana office.

Next step

Send plans and target tier to /contact or WhatsApp +233 59 247 0446 for a product list and pro forma invoice.