A bitumen supplier in Togo is really supplying four countries. The Port of Lomé is the deepest and busiest container port in West Africa and the formal transit gateway for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, so a large share of the bitumen landing there moves inland under a separate customs regime rather than staying in Togo. That changes the packing decision, the documentation and the landed cost — and it is the part most quotations leave out.
ZUMRUT INT Co. supplies penetration, oxidized, cutback and emulsion grades into Togo and onward to the Sahel, loading from Mersin, Jebel Ali and Bandar Abbas with a batch certificate of analysis issued before every shipment. This page covers grade selection for the tropical savanna climate, the Lomé corridor and what it means for your order, pricing drivers and import documentation.
Grade selection for Togo’s climate
Togo runs from a humid coastal strip at Lomé to drier savanna in the north around Dapaong. The south has two rainy seasons; the north has one long wet season and a harmattan dry season with dust and a wide day-to-night temperature swing.
Those two zones need different answers.
| Region | Conditions | Recommended grade | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal south — Lomé, Aného, Tsévié | Humid, two rainy seasons, moderate heat | 60/70 | Standard paving grade. Adequate rut resistance with good adhesion in wet conditions |
| Central plateau — Atakpamé, Sokodé | Warmer, single wet season | 60/70 | The regional default across most of the network |
| Northern savanna — Kara, Dapaong | Hotter days, cooler nights, harmattan dust | 60/70 or 40/50 | Higher surface temperature. 40/50 on heavy corridors, but watch the night contraction |
| High-rainfall zones | Sustained moisture, stripping risk | 80/100 | Softer binder with better ductility holds aggregate through wet cycling |
| Lomé port, truck corridors, intersections | Slow and standing heavy loads | 40/50 or PMB | Standing loads damage pavement more than moving loads at the same axle weight |
| Airports and high-stress pavement | Point loading plus heat | PMB | Elasticity and weather resistance beyond what an unmodified binder delivers |
The rainfall trade-off. The instinct in a hot climate is to specify a harder binder. In Togo’s high-rainfall zones that can backfire: a harder binder has lower ductility, and ductility is what holds aggregate in place through repeated wetting and drying. Where moisture damage and stripping are the observed failure mode rather than rutting, a softer grade with better adhesion outperforms a harder one. Tell us which failure you are actually seeing and we will advise on that basis rather than on temperature alone.
Waterproofing and industrial grades
Togo’s rainfall also drives demand for oxidized bitumen in roofing and waterproofing. For roofing membrane in this climate, 85/25 is workable in the coastal south but marginal in the north where surface temperatures run higher. Oxidized 95/25 gives useful margin at a small price difference. For pipe coating and industrial compounds, 115/15 is the usual specification.
The Lomé corridor: why it changes your order
Togo has one commercial seaport that matters, and it is more important regionally than nationally.
| Port | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Port of Lomé | Main commercial and container gateway | Deep-water port, among the busiest in West Africa. Handles Togolese imports and transit cargo for the Sahel |
| Kpémé | Phosphate export terminal | Specialised bulk facility. Not a general import gateway for containerised cargo |
Kpémé is frequently listed as a bitumen entry point in supplier literature. In practice it is a phosphate loading terminal, and general cargo including drummed bitumen discharges at Lomé. If a quotation names Kpémé as your discharge port, it is worth asking what the arrangement actually is.
Transit to the landlocked Sahel
Lomé serves as a designated transit corridor for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. If your project is in Ouagadougou, Bamako or Niamey rather than Togo, the cargo clears Lomé under a transit regime and moves overland by road.
| Destination | Overland leg from Lomé | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | Roughly 1,000 km by road via Cinkassé | Transit declaration, border formalities, several days of trucking |
| Bamako, Mali | Over 1,800 km via Burkina Faso | Two border crossings. Inland freight can exceed ocean freight |
| Niamey, Niger | Roughly 1,200 km via Burkina Faso | Transit regime is separate from the import regime at destination |
Three practical consequences follow from this, and they apply whether the final destination is northern Togo or across a border.
- Drums beat bulk. A bitutainer needs heated discharge facilities at the far end. Sites a thousand kilometres inland rarely have them. Steel drums travel on any truck and need no equipment.
- Transit documentation is the usual delay, not import documentation. The transit customs regime is administered separately and needs arranging before arrival rather than after.
- Storage time at Lomé counts. Cargo waiting for a truck convoy sits in a yard in coastal heat. Drums stored on their side collect water at the bung, which becomes a boil-over hazard when the material is later heated. Our bitumen shelf life and storage guide covers the rules.
Packing options and container loading
| Packing | Per 20′ container | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 180 kg new steel drum | 80 drums ≈ 14.4 MT | Inland and transit cargo. No discharge equipment needed, survives road transport |
| 200 kg new steel drum | 80 drums ≈ 16 MT | Lower packing cost per tonne where handling allows |
| 300 kg jumbo bag | Up to 22 MT | Sites with forklift or crane. Cheaper per tonne than drums |
| Bulk bitutainer | 20–25 MT | Asphalt plants in or near Lomé with heated storage |
Bitumen prices in Togo
The FOB figure is only part of the landed cost, and for Togo the inland component is larger than most buyers expect.
| Cost component | Moves with | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base bitumen price | Crude and vacuum bottom | The largest single component. Tracks crude with a lag of a few weeks |
| Ocean freight | Vessel availability, routing | Moves independently of crude. Mersin is usually the cheapest origin for West Africa |
| Packing | Drum, jumbo bag or bulk | Drums cost more per tonne but need no discharge equipment |
| Import duty and taxes | HS classification, Togolese tariff | Bitumen falls under HS 2713.20. Confirm the rate with your broker |
| Port and clearance at Lomé | Handling, storage, demurrage | Free time matters. Slow clearance turns into real cost quickly |
| Inland trucking | Distance and border crossings | For Sahel destinations this can rival or exceed the ocean freight |
Among the grades, 60/70 is the benchmark because it is the highest-volume product and the base other grades price against. Harder and softer grades carry a differential, and cutback prices follow the solvent as much as the bitumen. Indicative levels are on our bitumen price page.
Importing bitumen into Togo
Togo does not operate a pre-shipment verification of conformity scheme of the kind Nigeria or Ghana use, so there is no certificate of conformity to obtain before sailing. Clearance runs on standard customs documentation.
| Document | Issued by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | Seller | Value, parties, Incoterm, HS code |
| Packing list | Seller | Drum count, net and gross weight, container and seal numbers |
| Bill of lading | Shipping line | Title and contract of carriage |
| Certificate of origin | Chamber of commerce at origin | Country of production; determines duty treatment |
| Certificate of analysis | Producer QC or independent lab | Batch conformity to the named standard |
| Safety data sheet | Producer | Hazard information. French version advisable |
| Transit declaration | Clearing agent at Lomé | Required only where cargo moves on to Burkina Faso, Mali or Niger |
| Inspection certificate | SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek | Independent quality and quantity verification at loading |
Togo is francophone and official documentation is handled in French. Commercial documents in English are generally accepted, but a French safety data sheet and French technical documentation smooth the process considerably, particularly for transit cargo crossing into Burkina Faso or Mali. We supply both. The full picture is in our bitumen export documentation guide.
The Togolese construction market
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National road network
Corridor upgrades linking Lomé to the northern border, plus secondary road programmes connecting agricultural regions to the port.
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Port and logistics infrastructure
Lomé’s role as a regional transit hub drives continuous investment in port access roads, truck parks and handling areas.
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Urban development
Growth in Lomé and the secondary cities generates urban paving, drainage and building waterproofing demand.
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Regional transit corridors
The Sahel corridors carry heavy loaded trucks year-round, which is where the harder grades and modified binders belong.
There is no domestic bitumen production in Togo, so all supply is imported. That makes supplier reliability and documentation quality more consequential than in markets with a local fallback.
Why choose ZUMRUT as your bitumen supplier in Togo
Payment terms are 30% by TT in advance with the balance settled against a copy of the bill of lading, and an irrevocable letter of credit at sight for repeat contracts. The balance falls due only once the cargo is on the water and documented, so you are not paying in full against an undelivered shipment.
- Batch certificate of analysis before loading, with the lot number, production date and each test result against the standard your contract names — not a generic typical-values sheet.
- Grade advice for the actual failure mode, including the honest point that a harder binder is not always right in high-rainfall zones.
- Packing matched to the destination — drums for inland and transit cargo, bulk only where heated discharge exists.
- New sealed steel drums rather than reconditioned, with recorded seal numbers and a stuffing photo set.
- Third-party inspection accepted at the load port by SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek or the surveyor you name.
- French documentation where required, including the safety data sheet.
- Minimum order 100 MT, roughly seven 20-foot containers of drummed product. Mixed grades accepted where each grade fills a container.
Frequently asked questions
Which bitumen grade is best for Togo?
60/70 for standard road construction across most of the country, which is the regional default. 80/100 in high-rainfall zones where moisture damage and stripping are the observed failure mode rather than rutting. 40/50 or polymer modified binder for the Lomé port area, truck corridors, intersections and airports where slow heavy loads combine with high surface temperature.
Why might a softer grade be better in Togo despite the heat?
Because a harder binder has lower ductility, and ductility is what holds aggregate in place through repeated wetting and drying. In Togo’s high-rainfall zones, moisture damage and stripping are often the real failure mode rather than rutting. Where that is what you are seeing, 80/100 outperforms a harder grade. Diagnose the failure before choosing the grade.
Which port should bitumen be discharged at in Togo?
Lomé. It is the main commercial and container gateway and among the busiest ports in West Africa. Kpémé is a phosphate export terminal rather than a general import gateway, and containerised cargo including drummed bitumen discharges at Lomé. If a quotation names Kpémé as your discharge port, ask what the arrangement actually is.
Can bitumen be shipped through Togo to Burkina Faso, Mali or Niger?
Yes. Lomé is a designated transit corridor for the landlocked Sahel. Cargo clears under a transit regime and moves overland by road — roughly 1,000 km to Ouagadougou, 1,200 km to Niamey and over 1,800 km to Bamako. The transit customs regime is separate from the import regime at destination and needs arranging before arrival. Steel drums are strongly preferred for these routes.
How long does shipping to Togo take?
Roughly 20 to 30 days from Mersin, which is normally the shortest and cheapest origin for West African destinations. Loading from Jebel Ali or Bandar Abbas takes longer. Add three to seven days for the bill of lading after sailing and a further two to five for the certificate of origin.
Does Togo require a certificate of conformity?
No. Togo does not operate a pre-shipment verification of conformity scheme like Nigeria’s SONCAP or Ghana’s programme. Clearance runs on standard customs documentation. What matters on the supply side is a proper batch certificate of analysis against the named standard, and ideally a French-language safety data sheet.
What packing works best for Togolese and Sahel projects?
Steel drums, despite the higher packing cost per tonne. Sites inland and across the borders have no heated discharge facilities, and drums travel on any truck without special equipment. Jumbo bags work where a forklift or crane is available. Bulk bitutainers only suit asphalt plants in or near Lomé with heated storage.
What is the HS code for bitumen in Togo?
Petroleum bitumen, including penetration and oxidized grades, falls under HS 2713.20. Bitumen emulsion and cutback fall under 2715.00. National tariffs add further digits, so confirm the full code and current duty rate with your customs broker before contracting.
Do you provide documentation in French?
Yes. Togo is francophone and official documentation is handled in French. We supply the safety data sheet in French and can provide French-language technical documentation. This matters particularly for transit cargo crossing into Burkina Faso or Mali. Commercial documents are issued in English as standard, which is generally accepted for clearance.
What are your payment terms?
30% by TT in advance with the balance settled against a copy of the bill of lading, and an irrevocable letter of credit at sight for repeat contracts. The balance falls due only once the cargo is on the water and documented, so the buyer is not paying in full against an undelivered shipment.
What is the minimum order quantity?
100 MT, roughly seven 20-foot containers of drummed product or five bulk bitutainers. Packing options are 180 kg and 200 kg new steel drums, 300 kg jumbo bags and bulk bitutainer. Mixed grades in one shipment are accepted provided each grade reaches one full container.
Can you supply oxidized bitumen and emulsion to Togo?
Yes. Alongside penetration grades we ship oxidized bitumen for roofing and waterproofing, cationic and anionic emulsion for surface dressing and tack coats, cutback grades for prime coats, polymer modified binder and membrane.
Related pages
Product specifications: bitumen 60/70, bitumen 80/100, bitumen 40/50 and polymer modified bitumen. For cross-referencing grades between systems, see the bitumen grade equivalence chart. For storage limits and retest thresholds, see the bitumen shelf life and storage guide. For shipment paperwork, see the bitumen export documentation guide.
Neighbouring and regional markets we also supply: Ghana, Benin, Nigeria and Senegal. The complete list is in our global bitumen supply guide.
Order bitumen for Togo
Send us the grade as your contract names it, the quantity, the packing and the final destination — not just the discharge port. If the cargo moves inland or across a border, that changes the packing recommendation and the landed cost more than most buyers expect. We will confirm what the certificate of analysis will state and quote FOB, CFR or CIF.
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