Port location	Cotonou
Name of port	Port Autonome de Cotonou
Port type	Seaport
Management	Port Autonome de Cotonou Pac
Website	www.portdecotonou.com
Port services	Cranes and port facilities.
Port equipment	Dockside crane, container gantries, mobile cranes 140T, reachstacker 45T, Ro-Ro Tugmaster, grain elevator and forklifts 16T.
Business section	Oil and gas, energy, industrial logistics, port projects, renewables, pharmaceutical, hi-tech/telecom, automotive, mining and manufacturing.
Export opportunities	Raw cotton, coconuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, gold, other nuts and cement.
Import opportunities	Rice, refined petroleum, poultry meat, electricity and cars.
Import origins	China, India, Malaysia, France and the United States.
Shipping lines	Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), MOL, OT Africa Line and PIL
Borders	Benin borders Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo by land and Ghana by sea

The Port of Cotonou is located in Benin and serves the neighbouring countries of Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Burkina Faso. Cotonou Port Authority is a State organisation that manages the port, while SOBEMAP maintains the monopoly for conventional handling. Maersk and BOLLORE on the other hand competes in container handling through their subsidiaries COMAN and SMTC.

The port’s deep-water harbour supports brewing, textile and palm oil processing industries. Major exports passing through the Port of Cotonou include kapok and cotton and the major imports are cereals and gypsum for the agriculture and construction industries.

One of Africa’s leading shipping lines has a terminal dedicated to handling containerised cargo and the terminal contains 7,000 square metres of container space and container handling equipment.

COMAN and SMTC handle containers and have suitable equipment that functions adequately.