Summary
- Exports
- $6.9billion
- Imports
- $8.3billion
- Trade balance
- -$1.3billion
Products
What it exports
Crude petroleum (39%) and cocoa beans (18.5%) together make up 57.5% of its exports.
What it imports
Rice (5.9%) and refined petroleum (5.1%) together make up 11% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $3.5 billion | $494 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $1.9 billion | $7 million |
| 44 · Wood | $601 million | $5 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $248 million | $4 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $181 million | $14 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $85 million | $147 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $68 million | $97 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $43 million | $40 million |
| 74 · Copper | $34 million | $5 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $31 million | $13 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $24 million | $29 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $19 million | $174 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $14 million | $806 million |
| 78 · Lead | $9 million | $69 thousand |
| 07 · Vegetables | $9 million | $15 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $8 million | $110 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $8 million | $28 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $8 million | $56 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $7 million | $819 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $6 million | $94 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $6 million | $87 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $6 million | $3 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $6 million | $6 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $6 million | $112 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $5 million | $403 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $4 million | $99 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $4 million | $175 thousand |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $4 million | $27 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $4 million | $19 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $2 million | $270 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $2 million | $493 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $2 million | $185 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $2 million | $93 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $2 million | $75 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $2 million | $76 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $2 million | $285 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $1 million | $176 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $1 million | $137 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $1 million | $295 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $1 million | $761 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $1 million | $198 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $985 thousand | $146 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $812 thousand | $28 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $777 thousand | $3 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $760 thousand | $28 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $689 thousand | $2 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $674 thousand | $180 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $650 thousand | $118 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $634 thousand | $115 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $575 thousand | $21 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $562 thousand | $4 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $559 thousand | $649 thousand |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $545 thousand | $25 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $487 thousand | $138 thousand |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $474 thousand | $84 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $393 thousand | $60 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $392 thousand | $94 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $391 thousand | $48 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $319 thousand | $29 million |
| 70 · Glass | $298 thousand | $42 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $282 thousand | $35 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $255 thousand | $19 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $187 thousand | $5 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $172 thousand | $11 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $170 thousand | $45 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $169 thousand | $66 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $153 thousand | $1 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $148 thousand | $57 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $124 thousand | $18 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $120 thousand | $47 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $117 thousand | $349 thousand |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $103 thousand | $27 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $93 thousand | $1 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $86 thousand | $50 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $83 thousand | $192 thousand |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $83 thousand | $6 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $74 thousand | $3 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $73 thousand | $7 million |
| 65 · Hats | $33 thousand | $7 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $21 thousand | $699 thousand |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $21 thousand | $730 thousand |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $18 thousand | $15 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $14 thousand | $13 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $13 thousand | $7 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $9 thousand | $1 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $4 thousand | $2 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $3 thousand | $15 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $2 thousand | $6 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $2 thousand | $60 thousand |
| 51 · Wool | $766 | $11 thousand |
| 79 · Zinc | $692 | $53 thousand |
| 80 · Tin | $193 | $156 thousand |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $137 | $10 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $15 | $134 thousand |
| 50 · Silk | $5 | $47 thousand |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $0 | $4 million |
Trading partners
Its main destination is the Netherlands (20.3% of exports) and its main source is China (44.1% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 1.4 | 20.3% | Sea |
| China | 1.1 | 15.5% | Sea |
| Malaysia | 0.75 | 10.8% | Sea |
| France | 0.53 | 7.7% | Sea |
| Germany | 0.5 | 7.2% | Sea |
| India | 0.47 | 6.8% | Sea |
| Italy | 0.42 | 6.1% | Sea |
| United States | 0.26 | 3.7% | Sea |
| Uganda | 0.25 | 3.6% | Air |
| Central African Republic | 0.21 | 3% | Land |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 3.6 | 44.1% | Sea |
| France | 0.58 | 7.1% | Sea |
| India | 0.53 | 6.5% | Sea |
| Belgium | 0.41 | 5% | Sea |
| Brazil | 0.28 | 3.4% | Sea |
| Turkey | 0.19 | 2.4% | Sea |
| United States | 0.18 | 2.2% | Sea |
| Thailand | 0.18 | 2.2% | Sea |
| Germany | 0.18 | 2.1% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 0.14 | 1.7% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Cameroon accounted for 0.03% of world exports, compared with 0.04% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports tripled since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 6.9
- Imports 8.3
- Balance -1.3
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $2.3 billion | $1.3 billion | $1 billion |
| 1996 | $2.4 billion | $1.4 billion | $984 million |
| 1997 | $2.7 billion | $1.8 billion | $942 million |
| 1998 | $2.1 billion | $1.7 billion | $303 million |
| 1999 | $2 billion | $1.5 billion | $523 million |
| 2000 | $2.6 billion | $1.6 billion | $960 million |
| 2001 | $2.3 billion | $2.2 billion | $135 million |
| 2002 | $2.2 billion | $2.1 billion | $43 million |
| 2003 | $2.9 billion | $2.1 billion | $808 million |
| 2004 | $3.4 billion | $2.6 billion | $761 million |
| 2005 | $4 billion | $3.2 billion | $781 million |
| 2006 | $4.9 billion | $3.7 billion | $1.2 billion |
| 2007 | $5.8 billion | $4.2 billion | $1.6 billion |
| 2008 | $6.4 billion | $5 billion | $1.3 billion |
| 2009 | $4.1 billion | $4.8 billion | -$692 million |
| 2010 | $5.1 billion | $5.5 billion | -$350 million |
| 2011 | $5.5 billion | $6.2 billion | -$680 million |
| 2012 | $5.7 billion | $7.3 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 2013 | $5.8 billion | $7.9 billion | -$2.1 billion |
| 2014 | $6.2 billion | $9.1 billion | -$2.9 billion |
| 2015 | $5.1 billion | $7.1 billion | -$2 billion |
| 2016 | $4.2 billion | $6 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2017 | $4.8 billion | $6.4 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 2018 | $5.4 billion | $7.3 billion | -$1.9 billion |
| 2019 | $5.8 billion | $8 billion | -$2.3 billion |
| 2020 | $5 billion | $7.8 billion | -$2.8 billion |
| 2021 | $5.7 billion | $8.5 billion | -$2.9 billion |
| 2022 | $7.7 billion | $8.8 billion | -$1.1 billion |
| 2023 | $7 billion | $9.4 billion | -$2.4 billion |
| 2024 | $6.9 billion | $8.3 billion | -$1.3 billion |
World rank
Cameroon fell from 87th to 118th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 87th in 1995
- 118th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 87th |
| 1996 | 88th |
| 1997 | 88th |
| 1998 | 94th |
| 1999 | 94th |
| 2000 | 95th |
| 2001 | 101st |
| 2002 | 105th |
| 2003 | 95th |
| 2004 | 102nd |
| 2005 | 100th |
| 2006 | 97th |
| 2007 | 98th |
| 2008 | 105th |
| 2009 | 110th |
| 2010 | 110th |
| 2011 | 115th |
| 2012 | 113th |
| 2013 | 116th |
| 2014 | 114th |
| 2015 | 116th |
| 2016 | 120th |
| 2017 | 119th |
| 2018 | 118th |
| 2019 | 116th |
| 2020 | 117th |
| 2021 | 118th |
| 2022 | 115th |
| 2023 | 119th |
| 2024 | 118th |
What it sells
Its top export group is still oil, gas and coal: 51% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 4%
- Dairy, eggs and honey 1%
- Rubber 1%
- Aluminum 1%
- Fruit and nuts 3%
- Gems and precious metals 4%
- Wood 9%
- Cocoa and chocolate 28%
- Oil, gas and coal 51%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Oil, gas and coal | 28.3% | 51% |
| Cocoa and chocolate | 8.4% | 27.6% |
| Wood | 24.4% | 8.7% |
| Gems and precious metals | 0.13% | 3.6% |
| Fruit and nuts | 6.2% | 2.6% |
| Aluminum | 6.6% | 1.2% |
| Rubber | 3.9% | 0.98% |
| Dairy, eggs and honey | 0.04% | 0.63% |
| Other | 22% | 3.7% |
Who it trades with
China went from 2% to 31% of Cameroon's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- China 31%
- Netherlands 10%
- France 7%
- India 7%
- Malaysia 5%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| China | 1.5% | 31.1% |
| Netherlands | 7.6% | 10.2% |
| France | 26.4% | 7.4% |
| India | 0.4% | 6.6% |
| Malaysia | 0.27% | 5.3% |
Production hubs
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.