French ports launch charm offensive

An economic interest group from the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris (HAROPA) in France has arrived in Cameroon to meet the country’s business community and praise the qualities of their infrastructure for activities related to the import or export of goods, reliable sources disclosed Last Monday.

During the meeting, the French port conglomerate endeavored to demonstrate to local exporters and importers that as the first French port infrastructure, it offers adequate solutions to best meet their foreign trade operations.

To better take advantage of the traffic of fruit, bananas, cocoa, timber containers and other Cameroonian export products, HAROPA presents itself as the leading port of a key market for the national economy. Cameroonian traders would gain time and costs using it as their service provider.

HAROPA also wants to further develop the transit of vehicles and special packages exported to major construction sites rife in Cameroon, taking into account the new possibilities opening up with the decongestion of the port of Douala and the beginning of activities in the port of Kribi.

In light of the significant trade links between Cameroon and France, estimated at about CFA 615 billion in 2015, taking into account the longstanding relationship between HAROPA and Cameroonian import-export activities, the visitors are betting on the possibility of giving a new impetus to that relation.

To that end, HAROPA offers services with competitive advantages, even though French exports to Cameroon dropped by 1.5 percent last year.