Twisted service cables
Twisted aluminium cables, 2 × 16 mm², for low-voltage service connections, delivered on drums and loaded in 40-foot High Cube containers in April 2022.
Electrical cables
MARKETS · MALI
Importing into Mali from Tunisia: transit ports, BESC and routes to Bamako
Mali has no coastline: goods from Tunisia arrive at a transit port, most often Dakar or Abidjan, then travel on to Bamako by road. MWB TRADING has shipped to Mali since 2022, from Sfax and Radès (Tunis), through the port of Dakar: electrical cables, steel line supports, plaster and white cement.
This guide sets out the verified points for importing into Mali: the electronic cargo tracking note (BESC), managed by the Malian Shippers’ Council and required whatever the transit port, the border check, the state of the corridors in 2026 and the regional rules since Mali left ECOWAS. Public reports show the cables on drums and the line supports loaded in 2022.
- Dakar · Abidjan
- Mali’s two main gateways; the country is also developing a route through Conakry
- Malian BESC
- managed by the Malian Shippers’ Council, required whatever the port of discharge
- Border check
- since April 2026, a declaration without a valid BESC is refused and the goods are sent back to the port
- UEMOA
- Mali left ECOWAS on 29 January 2025 and remains a member of UEMOA
- Sfax · Radès
- departure ports of our shipments to Mali
- Since 2022
- we have shipped to Mali through the port of Dakar, bound for Bamako
Sources: interministerial order of 31 December 2025 and Malian Shippers’ Council circular of 13 April 2026, reported by Mali Tribune, for the BESC; APA (25 August 2025) for ECOWAS and UEMOA; Policy Center for the New South (December 2025), RFI (February 2026), Fratmat (4 August 2026), APA (16 August 2026) and Financial Afrik (15 October 2026) for the corridors; our export declarations and bills of lading, April 2022 to April 2024. Checked in October 2026; to be confirmed with your freight forwarder before each shipment.
PRODUCT RANGES
The ranges we ship to Mali
MWB TRADING has shipped to Mali since 2022, from Sfax and Radès (Tunis), through the port of Dakar. These product families appear in our shipments to Mali; the catalogue pages detail the available references.
Steel line supports
Hot-dip galvanised steel supports, 9 m (200 to 1,320 daN) and 12 m (650 daN), bundled and loaded in 40-foot High Cube containers in October 2022.
Transformers and network equipmentBagged plaster
Casting plaster and DECORMED plaster in bags, loaded in 20-foot containers in 2022 and 2024.
MEDGYP plaster Plaster and casting fibresWhite cement
White cement CEM II/A-L 42.5 N in bags, in 20-foot containers, shipped from Sfax in December 2022 on the same vessel as plaster.
White cementALSO AVAILABLE
The ranges we also offer for Mali
These ranges do not yet appear in our shipments to Mali. They complement the cables, line supports, plaster and white cement we already ship there; the catalogue pages detail the references.
MV/LV transformers and substations
Distribution transformers and prefabricated MV/LV substations, to complete the cables and line supports of a network. State the rating, voltages and type of installation.
MV/LV distribution transformers Prefabricated MV/LV substationsSurge protection and earthing
Surge arresters, lightning protection and earthing equipment for lines and substations, to group with cables in the same load.
Surge and lightning protection Earthing and bondingStreet lighting and LED
LED street lights and luminaires for roads, sites and buildings, with the technical data sheet of each model.
Street lighting Lighting and luminairesTiles and adhesives
Floor tiles, wall tiles and tile adhesives, in 20-foot containers, on their own or with plaster and white cement in the same load.
Floor and wall tiles Tile adhesivesOUR SHIPMENTS
Our loads for Mali
Our public reports for Mali: the cables on drums and the steel line supports loaded in 2022.
Electrical cables on drums
Electrical cables on wooden drums, prepared in Tunisia for a sea shipment via Dakar and onward transit to Bamako. The photographs show drum preparation, handling and placement inside the container.
View the report
Steel utility poles
Preparation and container loading of steel poles for overhead networks. The shipment runs from Sfax to Dakar, with onward transit to Bamako. The photographs show long-item handling and cargo placement.
View the reportLOGISTICS AND DOCUMENTS
Importing into Mali through Dakar or Abidjan
Ports and routes
Our shipments to Mali leave from Sfax or Radès (Tunis) and are discharged at the port of Dakar, in Senegal, with a transit notation to Mali, bound for Bamako. The Dakar–Bamako corridor remains Mali’s main supply route; Abidjan is the other major gateway, and Mali is developing a route through Conakry. In 2026, insecurity disrupted the northern road through Kidira and Kayes: much of the freight leaving Dakar now goes through Kédougou and the Moussala border post. The transit port and route are decided with your freight forwarder at the time of shipment.
Import documents
Mali requires an electronic cargo tracking note (BESC) for its sea imports, whatever the port of discharge: Dakar, Abidjan, Conakry or Lomé. An interministerial order of 31 December 2025 entrusts its management to the Malian Shippers’ Council. The BESC is requested at the port of loading, in Tunisia, and must be validated before the vessel arrives. The transit country may require its own formalities, which are checked with the freight forwarder. The commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin complete the file.
Inspection and conformity
Under a Malian Shippers’ Council circular of 13 April 2026, a declaration not covered by a properly issued BESC is not accepted at Malian border customs offices: the goods are sent back to the port to be regularised. In April 2026, Ivorian customs removed the Malian customs visa on declarations at the port of Abidjan to ease inter-state road transit (TRIE); the BESC requirement is unchanged.
Regional rules
Mali left ECOWAS on 29 January 2025, together with Burkina Faso and Niger, and remains a member of UEMOA. Goods from Tunisia are third-country imports: your freight forwarder confirms the applicable duties and transit regime at the time of shipment.
Loading formats
40-foot High Cube containers for cables on drums and line supports; 20-foot containers for bagged plaster and white cement.
Availability, transport, lead times and documents are confirmed in each offer.
YOUR ENQUIRY FOR MALI
Let’s prepare your next load for Mali.
State your products, quantities and destination city. Mali is already selected; you can change it.
Chat on WhatsAppYOUR QUESTIONS
Your questions about importing into Mali from Tunisia
Which port do your shipments to Mali use?
The port of Dakar, in Senegal: our shipments from 2022 to 2024 were discharged there, with a transit notation to Mali. Abidjan is Mali’s other major gateway; another transit port can be assessed if you prefer.
Which cargo tracking note is needed for Mali?
The Malian BESC, managed by the Malian Shippers’ Council and required whatever the port of discharge. Without a properly issued BESC, the declaration is refused at the Malian border and the goods are sent back to the port to be regularised. Your freight forwarder confirms the current procedure.
Are the roads to Bamako open?
Yes, but they are exposed to insecurity. In 2026, the northern road through Kidira and Kayes was disrupted and much of the freight leaving Dakar goes through Kédougou and Moussala; some shipping lines have also, at times, suspended deliveries to Mali. The transit port and route are confirmed with your freight forwarder before each shipment.
Does Mali still apply ECOWAS rules?
Mali left ECOWAS on 29 January 2025, together with Burkina Faso and Niger, but remains a member of UEMOA. For goods from Tunisia, your freight forwarder confirms the applicable duties and transit regime at the time of shipment.
Which containers do you use for cables and line supports?
40-foot High Cube containers: for the twisted cables on drums in April 2022, then for the 9 and 12-metre line supports in October 2022. Bagged plaster and white cement travel in 20-foot containers.
Can you ship several products to the same destination?
Yes. In December 2022, plaster and white cement left Sfax on the same vessel for Mali. List all the product families in your order, the destination city and the preferred unloading location.
