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Cameroon’s export landscape is undergoing a major transformation, as China surpasses France to become the country’s second-largest export destination—a sign of Africa’s broader economic pivot toward Asia.
According to new data from Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics (INS), exports to China reached 535.1 billion XAF in 2024, accounting for 16.5% of the nation’s total. This marks a sharp 8.7 percentage point increase from the previous year, driven largely by oil and gas shipments. Crude oil alone made up 83% of Cameroonian exports to China, with natural gas contributing another 8%.
Meanwhile, France—once Cameroon’s top trading partner and a symbol of enduring colonial ties—has seen its share fall to just 5.7%, dropping to fifth place among export destinations. This decline reflects a weakening of France’s long-standing influence in the region.
The Netherlands retained its position as Cameroon’s largest export market in 2024, capturing 19.2% of total exports, led by cocoa (53.6%) and crude oil (29.5%). India came in third with 10.1%, mainly importing liquefied natural gas and cotton. Italy, climbing to fourth place, imported goods worth 206.8 billion XAF, but still lags behind China in overall share.
Cameroon’s trade realignment is part of a wider continental trend, where African countries are increasingly turning eastward in search of trade, investment, and infrastructure partnerships. For Cameroon, China’s robust demand for oil and gas offers a valuable alternative to Europe, where demand has been inconsistent and environmental regulations have tightened.
Chad, once Cameroon’s top African trading partner, has slipped to eighth place, reflecting a regional decline in petroleum trade and reduced intra-African exports within the CEMAC bloc.
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The drop in France’s trade share mirrors a broader geopolitical shift across West and Central Africa. Countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—have already distanced themselves from Paris, forging closer ties with China and Russia while cutting ties with ECOWAS and French-backed institutions. While Cameroon remains outside the AES alliance, its evolving trade ties suggest a similar recalibration—one aimed at reducing reliance on its former colonial power and broadening its global partnerships.
For China, its surging trade with Cameroon reinforces its strategic presence in Central Africa, aligning with the Belt and Road Initiative’s objective of linking African resources directly with Asian markets.
