(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s imports reached CFA1,150 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Five products represented 50.8% of that amount, with industrial machines and transport equipment together making up 24.1%. The figures point to a steady trend of industrialization, despite high dependency on fuel and rice imports.
Between January and March 2025, imports of electrical and mechanical machines increased in both volume and value. They reached 53,000 tons worth CFA190 billion, up by 3,000 tons and CFA43 billion from the same period a year earlier.
Transport equipment and tractors cost CFA88 billion over the quarter, with shipments totaling 53,000 tons. Compared with early 2024, this marks an increase of 10,000 tons in volume and CFA21 billion in value.
The upward trend in industrial imports has been visible for at least two years. In 2024, Cameroon spent CFA573.6 billion on machines, electrical equipment, and other industrial tools—the highest figure in six years. Transport equipment imports also rose sharply, reaching CFA375 billion in 2024, up 76.8% from 2019 levels.
This momentum reflects the dynamism of the country’s industrial sector, driven by new factories that benefit from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union. The deal gradually removed tariffs on industrial equipment and transport vehicles, which reached zero on August 4, 2023.
Still, the country remains heavily reliant on fuel and cereals. These accounted for 27.5% of total imports in Q1 2025, including 13.5% for fuels and lubricants and 7.1% for rice.
The INS noted, however, that imports of fuels and lubricants fell by 14.6% in volume and 24.3% in value, while butane gas declined 7% in volume and 8% in value. As a result, hydrocarbon import spending contracted by 22.9% over the quarter.
