The American Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon (AmCham) is stepping up efforts to help local companies turn the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) into concrete regional business, as trade with the rest of Africa remains modest.
At a luncheon held on Dec. 18 in Douala, AmCham highlighted practical tools and strategies that could help Cameroonian firms expand exports and secure contracts across the continent.
“Our role is to provide members with practical information that enables them to grow their businesses and improve profitability. AfCFTA is a major opportunity that offers tangible solutions for our companies,” said Laure Djoukam, president of AmCham Cameroon.
She said market liberalisation alone was not enough, stressing the need for clear implementation strategies that translate tariff preferences into real market access and signed deals. Against this backdrop, AmCham is promoting Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), a digital trade ecosystem launched in 2023 by African Export-Import Bank to support private-sector operators under AfCFTA.
According to ATG consultant Christophe Adnot, the platform provides country-specific information on trade regulations and brings together tools such as Mansa, Papps, Tradar Club, Atex and ATG Connect. These services are designed to help companies identify partners, comply with regulations, secure payments and connect with financiers across African markets.
ATG also links firms with financial institutions offering tailored products, including trade finance, guarantees and credit lines, easing access to funding for regional expansion. Additional features include document generation and shipment tracking, aimed at reducing delays and cutting cross-border trade costs.
Market intelligence is another pillar of the platform, offering sectoral analyses and country profiles to help firms identify high-potential opportunities. Djoukam said ATG provides a pathway for Cameroonian companies that fear being crowded out by market opening to restructure, remain competitive and take advantage of AfCFTA opportunities. AmCham said it plans to organise training sessions with AfCFTA institutions and partners to sharpen firms’ regional trade strategies.
Since 2022, several Cameroonian companies have begun trading under AfCFTA rules. These include GIC Afatex, which exports safous, dried pineapples and ginger to Ghana; Cameroon Tea Estate and Ndawara Tea Estate, which export tea to Ghana; Inoda Industries Sarl, which ships resin; and the Cameroon Aluminum Company (Alucam), which exports aluminium ingots to Algeria.
At the same time, the government has been training small and medium-sized enterprises to take advantage of AfCFTA, with a focus on agribusiness, information and communication technologies, and renewable energy sectors viewed as having strong regional export potential.
Official data underline the challenge. According to the National Institute of Statistics, trade between Cameroon and other African countries amounted to 943.5 billion CFA francs (US$1.56 billion) in 2023, down from 1.04 trillion CFA francs (US$1.72 billion) in 2022. This resulted in a trade deficit of 97.2 billion CFA francs (US$161 million), although the deficit narrowed by 62.3 percent year on year.
Despite the improvement, the statistics office said intra-African trade remains limited more than two years after AfCFTA came into force. In 2023, Africa accounted for just 12.7 percent of Cameroon’s exports and 9.5 percent of its imports, even though the agreement opens access to a continental market of about 1.3 billion consumers.
By promoting digital tools such as Africa Trade Gateway and strengthening private-sector readiness, AmCham hopes to encourage Cameroonian firms to expand exports and deepen cross-border trade within Africa.
