(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s Ministery of Trade has reiterated the government’s commitment to promote free enterprise and youth participation in commerce, following directives from the reelected Presidents swearing-in speech on 6 November 2025. This information is contained in an official press statement issued on 7 November 2025 by the Ministry of Trade, signed by Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana.
In the press release, the Ministry reminded the public, particularly young people of the many opportunities available in the commercial sector. These opportunities, it stated, are made possible through the legal framework inspired and directed by the President of the Republic, which upholds the principle of freedom of enterprise. According to the Ministry, the exercise of commercial activity across the national territory by any individual or corporate entity is free, provided it complies with laws and regulations in force.
Citing Law No. 2015/018 of 21 December 2015, the statement emphasised that “the exercise of commercial activity on the national territory by any natural or legal person is free, subject to compliance with laws and regulations in force.” The statement further referred to Law No. 2016/004 of 18 April 2016, which reiterates that “foreign trade activity is free, except for the import and export of goods subject to restrictions or prohibitions prescribed by law.”
The statement further explained that certain goods remain excluded from the regime of free foreign trade. These include all products related to morality, public security and order, hygiene and health, as well as those concerning the protection of the environment, fauna and flora, and cultural heritage. The document clarified that the only administrative requirement for engaging in foreign trade is registration in the official database of importers and exporters.
The Ministry noted that the registration process is a simple administrative formality that involves the submission of specific documents and the payment of a registration fee of 45,000 CFA francs. It stated that no prior authorisation, approval, or licence from the Ministry of Trade is required to operate. According to the statement, the registration is processed within 48 to 72 hours, either at the Directorate of Foreign Trade or at the regional delegations of the Ministry of Trade.
“The Minister of Trade invites the youth to invest massively in this sector, which represents a true opportunity and an inexhaustible source of wealth and job creation, especially in light of the recent establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which opens access to a market of nearly 1.3 billion consumers,” part of the statement stated.
The Ministry added that instructions have been issued to the competent services, specifically the Directorate of Domestic Trade, the Directorate of Foreign Trade, and the decentralised regional services to ensure effective and personalised support for all interested individuals. The release highlighted that this guidance aims to facilitate access and participation in national and international trade under transparent and lawful conditions.
Mercy Fosoh
