• China rises to second place among Cameroon’s export destinations in 2024
• France drops to fifth as China’s imports reach CFA535.1 billion
• The Netherlands remain first, followed by China and India

China has become Cameroon’s second-largest export destination, overtaking France, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) cited by Business in Cameroon. In 2024, the Asian giant imported goods worth CFA535.1 billion ($948.9 million) from Cameroon, representing 16.5% of the country’s total exports.

Driven mainly by crude oil (83%) and natural gas (8%), these shipments boosted China from fourth to second place globally, gaining 8.7 percentage points in one year. France, formerly a top trading partner, fell from second to fifth place with 5.7% of market share and CFA185.8 billion in imports, a six-point drop year-on-year.

Italy advances, Chad drops out of the top five

Italy climbed from sixth to fourth position, importing 543,400 tons of Cameroonian goods worth CFA206.8 billion, or 6.4% of market share. Conversely, Chad, once Cameroon’s leading African customer, slipped to eighth place with 4.3%, due to lower exports of refined petroleum and manufactured goods to the CEMAC neighbor.

The Netherlands lead, India holds steady

The INS report shows the Netherlands remained Cameroon’s top export market for the third consecutive year, capturing 19.2% of total exports—53.6% from cocoa and 29.5% from oil. “The Netherlands remain Cameroon’s main customer in 2024, mainly due to cocoa and oil,” the report stated.

India maintained its third-place position, accounting for 10.1% of exports. Its main imports from Cameroon included liquefied natural gas (83.6%), crude oil (13.5%), and cotton (1.1%).

The shifting trade rankings highlight Cameroon’s gradual pivot toward Asian markets and a relative decline in traditional European partners.