The latest foreign trade report from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) that in the first quarter of 2025, the Cameroon's trade deficit fell dramatically, from 273 billion CFA francs at the same period in 2024 at only 32.7 billion CFA francs, an impressive decrease of 88%.

Cameroon reduces its trade deficit by 88% in first quarter 2025, thanks to a strong increase in exports. Export earnings jumped 35.3% to reach 1,118 billion francs CFA, thus crossing the symbolic threshold of 1 trillion CFA francs in a single quarter for the first time in several years. This increase more than offset the more modest increase in imports. (+4.7%, to 1,150 billion CFA francs). The INS analysis indicates that this improvement is mainly due to an “effect price”. Export volumes remained stable, but the surge in global prices of some raw materials boosted the value of sales to abroad.

Raw cacao beans are unquestionably the flagship product of this quarter, representing 44.8% of the figure alone total business, i.e. 500.3 billion CFA francs. Crude oil (19%) and liquefied natural gas (10.9%) complete the top three, illustrating the persistent dependence of the trade balance on raw materials.

On the import side, the purchasing structure in Cameroon remains concentrated. Hydrocarbons (16.3) %), cereals (11.2%) and capital goods (machines, vehicles) absorb more than half of the total bill.