Cameroon-Brazil trade exchanges totalled FCFA 720 bln in 15 years

The trade cooperation between Cameroon and Brazil is not the most dynamic. This is the observation made in Douala, the Cameroonian economic capital, by officials from both countries, at the end of a day of exchanges on business opportunities between Brazil and Cameroon. Indeed, we learned, between 2000 and 2015, trade exchanges between the two countries peaked at FCfa 720 billion, corresponding to an average of FCfa 47 billion of transactions per year.

Additionally, over this 15-years period, Cameroon had only FCfa 59.5 billion in exports towards the largest South American country, who for its part had FCfa 660 billion in exports to Cameroon, over the period under consideration.

In addition to lacking dynamism considering the existing potential, we learn, trade between Cameroon and Brazil is not diversified. While Cameroon imports from Brazil products such as sugar, aluminium, chemicals and industrial equipment, Brazil essentially imports rubber, wood and its derivatives.

However, this cooperation could soon be extended to the transport sector. In effect, these past months, the management of Brazilian companies Marcopolo and Embraer have been regularly seen in Cameroon, in order to generate the interest of the government for the establishment of projects such as the urban transport network via BRT or the purchase of aircraft for Camair Co, the national airline.