The Republic of Cameroon, a country in Central Africa on the continent’s western coast, exported goods worth US$5.2 billion in 2021.

That sum of money represents an increase of 59.1% from $3.26 billion in 2017.

Exports from Cameroon increased in value annually from $4.5 billion in 2020 by 15.5%.

Crude oil, petroleum gases, cocoa beans, sawn timber, and bananas, including plantains, are Cameroon’s top 5 exports. That group of five significant exports from Cameroon accounts for 83.9% of the nation’s overall export sales. A portfolio of export commodities with such a high concentration is concealed by the high percentage.

The Central African (CFA) franc, which is the official currency of Cameroon, strengthened by 4.5% against the US dollar since 2017 and increased by 3.7% from 2020 to 2021, according to its average exchange rate for that year. Since the native currency in Cameroon is stronger than the US dollar, exports from Cameroon are significantly more expensive for foreign consumers.

Cameroon’s major trading partners

According to the most recent data for each country, importers in the following countries purchased 85.1% of the goods that Cameroon exported here: 

• Mainland China (24.8% of the total global imports),
• Italy (13.7%),
• The Netherlands (9.7%), 
• France (7%), 
• Spain (5.9%), 
• India (5.5%), 
• Belgium (3.6%), 
• Bangladesh (3.3%), 
• Vietnam (3.1%),
• Malaysia (3%),
• The United States (2.8%), and
• Chad (2.6%).

In terms of the entire continent, 44.1% of Cameroon’s exports by value went to the European Union, while 43.2% went to Asian buyers. Another 9.6% of Cameroon’s exports went to other African countries. Lower percentages went to Oceania, which only included New Zealand, Australia, and Vanuatu (0.05%), Latin America, which excluded Mexico but included the Caribbean (0.15%), and North America (2.9%).

With a population of 27.2 million, Cameroon’s total 2021 exports of $5.2 billion will provide about $190 for each citizen of the central-west African nation. That monetary amount is higher than the national average of $150 per person in 2020.

Cameroon’s top 10 exports

The following export product categories will account for the bulk of Cameroonian shipments abroad in 2021 in terms of dollar value. Additionally displayed is the percentage of total Cameroonian exports that each export category accounts for.

• Mineral fuels including oil: US$3 billion (58.2% of total exports)
• Cocoa: $805.3 million (15.5%)
• Wood: $648.2 million (12.5%)
• Fruits, nuts: $290.7 million (5.6%)
• Aluminum: $107 million (2.1%)
• Rubber, rubber articles: $68.4 million (1.3%)
• Cotton: $51.7 million (1%)
• Coffee, tea, spices: $32.2 million (0.6%)
• Copper: $18 million (0.3%)
• Machinery including computers: $13.5 million (0.3%)

97.4% of the total value of Cameroon’s international shipments was made up of its top 10 exports.

With an increase of 189.7% from 2020 to 2021, cotton experienced the fastest growth among the top 10 export categories.

Copper came in second for increasing export sales, with an 89.8% increase.

Rubber shipments from Cameroon, both as raw material and finished products, experienced the third-fastest increase in value, rising by 64%.

Due to its -24.1% year-over-year decline, the machinery including computers category was the top decliner among Cameroon’s top 10 export categories.

Products generating Cameroon’s largest trade surpluses

The shipments of the following Cameroonian goods show positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. According to Investopedia, net exports are calculated as total exports less total imports for a certain nation.

In a word, net exports are the difference between domestic spending on goods and services and domestic expenditure on goods and services from abroad.

• Mineral fuels including oil: US$2.6 billion (Up by 43.8% since 2020)
• Cocoa: $801 million (Down by -2%)
• Wood: $643.1 million (Down by -12.5%)
• $279.2 million for fruits and nuts (Up by 0.7 percent )
• $59.7 million for aluminum (Up by 110.4 percent )
• $20.5 million for coffee, tea, and spices (Up by 41.8 percent )
• Copper: $12.7 million (Up.4 by 230.7%)
• Cotton: $11.6 million (Reversing a -$52.6 million deficit)
• Lead: $9 million (Up by 99%)
• Collector items, art, and antiques: $1.4 million (Up by 24.2%)

With a population of 27.2 million, Cameroon’s total 2021 exports of $5.2 billion will provide about $190 for each citizen of the central-west African nation. That monetary amount is higher than the national average of $150 per person in 2020.