(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s customs revenue surged by 29% in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest economic report from the Ministry of Finance (Minfi). Collections reached 265.3 billion CFA francs, compared with 205.7 billion francs collected in the same period of 2024.
While the report did not detail the specific reasons for the increase, it pointed to broad improvements across all major components of customs duties. Import duties rose by 16.7 billion francs, Import VAT by 26.3 billion francs, excise duties by 3.9 billion francs, and export duties by 10.8 billion francs.
Over the same nine-month period, overall non-oil revenue increased by 1.1%, rising from 1,031.7 billion to 1,042.6 billion CFA francs. This growth was primarily driven by the strong performance of the customs administration, which collected an additional 59.6 billion francs compared to the first quarter of 2024.
The Directorate General of Customs (DGD) is forecasting a monthly collection of 104.4 billion CFA francs for October 2025, up from 102 billion in September. More than 90% of the expected October revenue is projected to come from the country’s two main customs hubs: Littoral I, which covers the Port Autonome de Douala and is expected to generate 60.6 billion francs, and South II, which includes the deep-sea port of Kribi, anticipated to collect 33.6 billion francs. These two zones reaffirmed their strategic role in mobilizing state fiscal resources.
For the full 2025 fiscal year, the DGD is targeting 1,114 billion CFA francs in customs revenue, an increase of 88.1 billion francs over the 1,055.9 billion collected in 2024. This dynamic reflects the government’s commitment to reinforcing non-oil revenue mobilization, particularly through the modernization of customs procedures and the securing of Cameroon’s main trade corridors.
Amina Malloum
