Correcting Inverted Weight Figures for a DRC FERI Certificate

Aligning Net and Gross Weights for Refined Sugar Cargo Transiting to Lubumbashi

Inverting net and gross weight values between an export declaration and commercial paperwork will cause rejections from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tracking authority, OGEFREM. This case study details how our audit caught transposed weight figures on a ten-container shipment of refined white sugar moving from Santos to Lubumbashi via the Port of Matadi, guiding the exporter through document corrections to secure an approved DRC FERI certificate.

We recently managed the cargo tracking documentation for a large-scale agricultural shipment of refined white sugar departing from the Port of Santos, Brazil, and destined for Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. The cargo was loaded into ten 20-foot dry containers and routed by sea to the Port of Matadi. Under OGEFREM regulations, all sea imports destined for the DRC require a mandatory Fiche Électronique de Renseignements à l’Importation (FERI) certificate prior to vessel discharge and customs clearance.

To initiate the FERI application, the exporter submitted their documents. During the initial audit, our compliance operator identified a critical clerical error: the net weight and gross weight values on the commercial invoice and packing list had been transposed. As a result, the commercial paperwork recorded a net weight that exceeded the gross weight, contradicting the official Brazilian export declaration and physical transport logic.

Catching the clerical oversight prior to official submission, our operator alerted the exporter. We explained that OGEFREM authorities require accuracy and data consistency across every document submitted. We instructed the exporter to review their Brazilian export declaration and issue a corrected commercial invoice and packing list that properly positioned the net weight and gross weight figures to match the customs filing and ocean Bill of Lading.

The exporter acted quickly, updating their billing and packing documents to reflect the correct weight metrics across all ten containers. Upon receiving the revised paperwork, our operator verified that every weight parameter, package count, container number, and line-item valuation matched perfectly across the entire document set. We finalized the FERI certificate draft, received client approval, and submitted the complete package to the OGEFREM portal. The official DRC FERI certificate was approved and issued without delay, protecting the shipment from costly demurrage fees at the Port of Matadi and ensuring smooth overland delivery to Lubumbashi.

For required documents, deadlines and how to apply, see our DRC FERI Certificate page.