(Business in Cameroon) – Italian investors are turning their focus to Cameroon’s craftsmanship and forest‑wood industries, as the government intensifies efforts to diversify exports and reduce dependence on crude oil. On Friday, November 28, 2025, Minister of SMEs, Social Economy, and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III, received a delegation of Italian investors led by Simon Pierre Ntomb, Secretary General of the Italy-Cameroon Chamber of Commerce. The talks centred on channelling foreign direct investment through partnerships with local artisans and entrepreneurs, aiming to boost competitiveness and facilitate technology transfer in key sectors.
The Italian delegation is specifically targeting the construction, craftsmanship and wood-processing sectors. This interest comes as wood (especially sawn wood and veneer) remains one of Cameroon’s top exports to Italy. Recent bilateral trade reviews indicate that cooperation between Cameroonian and Italian enterprises has grown over the past four years, with Italy increasing its economic footprint in sectors including design, agri-processing, leather, textiles and ceramics, as well as wood.
According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Italy exported €6.28 million worth of goods to Cameroon in the second quarter of 2025, while importing €64.3 million, leaving a negative trade balance of €58 million. Italian exports rose by 50.8 per cent compared to the same period in 2024, mainly driven by machinery and industrial equipment, while imports from Cameroon fell by 15.4 per cent, mainly in crude petroleum and timber.
Cameroon’s exports to Italy reached $207 million in 2023, with crude petroleum accounting for over half of the total, while Italy’s exports to Cameroon stood at $139 million, dominated by industrial food preparation machinery. Business in Cameroon reports that nearly 20 Italian firms have established ventures in the country over the past four years, strengthening bilateral cooperation through industrial partnerships and technology transfer.
Cameroon’s SME sector has expanded significantly in recent years. According to the Ministry of SMEs, Social Economy, and Handicrafts, the country counted 443,000 registered SMEs in 2024, a 12.8% increase from 2023, with more than 50,000 new enterprises created in a single year. SMEs contribute nearly 35% of Cameroon’s GDP and employ over 60% of the active workforce, making them central to the government’s import substitution strategy and export diversification agenda.
Mercy Fosoh
