(Business in Cameroon) – China has overtaken France to become Cameroon’s second-largest export destination, marking a major shift in the country’s trade patterns. Data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) show that China imported 535.1 billion XAF worth of Cameroonian goods in 2024, representing 16.5% of total exports.
Shipments to China were dominated by crude oil (83%) and natural gas (8%). This surge lifted China from fourth to second place, boosting its share of Cameroon’s exports by 8.7 percentage points in a single year. The trend stands in stark contrast to France, once a key partner, which slipped from second to fifth place with just 5.7% of the market and 185.8 billion XAF in purchases, a drop of six percentage points.
At the same time, Italy climbed from sixth to fourth place, importing 543,400 tonnes of Cameroonian goods worth 206.8 billion XAF, or 6.4% of total exports. In contrast, Chad, long Cameroon’s largest African market, fell to eighth place with a 4.3% share. INS attributed the decline to lower exports of refined petroleum products and manufactured goods to the neighboring CEMAC country.
According to INS, the Netherlands remained Cameroon’s top export market for the third consecutive year, accounting for 19.2% of sales. Dutch demand was led by cocoa (53.6%) and oil (29.5%). “The Netherlands remains Cameroon’s leading customer in 2024, thanks primarily to cocoa and oil,” the report noted.
Meanwhile, India held its third-place ranking, representing 10.1% of Cameroonian exports. Its main imports were liquefied natural gas (83.6%), crude oil (13.5%), and cotton (1.1%).
The shifting rankings underscore the ongoing realignment of Cameroon’s trade links, as exports increasingly flow toward Asia and the role of its traditional European partners continues to decline.
BRM
