Cameroon Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in cameroon, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Tariffs
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Beginning 2024, Cameroon applied the CET, categorizing imported goods into five groups with corresponding duty rates:

•    Category I - Certain cultural and aviation-related products: 0 percent duty.
•    Category II - Essential Goods: 5 percent duty (e.g. medicines, agricultural inputs, books). 
•    Category III - Raw Materials and Equipment: 10 percent duty. 
•    Category IV - Intermediate and Miscellaneous Goods: 20 percent duty. 
•    Category V - Fast-Moving Consumer Goods: 30 percent duty. 
 

To determine the applicable category for a specific product, importers can consult the Customs Nomenclature (a detailed tariff classification guide) available on the Cameroon Trade Hub website.

Under the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union and the United Kingdom, Cameroon has implemented phased tariff reductions for EU and UK products. The ninth phase, effective August 4, 2024, grants full exemptions on customs tariffs for 100 percent of goods in the first and second groups and 50 percent of goods in the third group, which includes high-revenue items such as commercial vehicles, fuels, motorcycles, and cement. While these exemptions give EU and UK firms a price advantage, U.S. companies can remain competitive by focusing on sectors where quality, reliability, and technology drive purchasing decisions—such as energy, infrastructure, ICT, healthcare, and industrial equipment.

Key strategies for U.S. firms include leveraging financing and risk-mitigation tools from EXIM and DFC, forming local partnerships to navigate bureaucracy, positioning Cameroon as a gateway to the wider CEMAC market, and engaging through AmCham and the U.S. Embassy to secure balanced trade terms and capitalize on high-trust, high-value niches.

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