Cameroon: ECCAS's new common external tariff has applied since January
Since 1 January 2026, Cameroon has applied the new common external tariff approved by the eleven member states of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), with rates ranging from 0 to 40% depending on the product category, gradually replacing the former CEMAC tariff.
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The eleven member states of ECCAS, the Economic Community of Central African States, approved a common external tariff on 18 October 2024, intended to harmonise the customs duties applied to goods from third countries, continuing the rapprochement under way since 2009 between ECCAS and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).
According to Cameroon's Directorate General of Customs, this tariff came into force in Cameroon on 1 January 2026. The schedule has four main bands: 0% for cereal seeds and aeronautical equipment, 5 to 20% for live animals, passenger vehicles, tractors, dairy products or construction materials, 20% for certain meats, fish, toys and musical instruments, and up to 40% for cocoa powder, tobacco products, mineral water, cotton or polyester fabrics and clothing.
The sources consulted confirm effective entry into force in Cameroon on this date; they do not specify a different timetable for the other member states of ECCAS and CEMAC, including Angola, Gabon, Congo, Chad, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea or São Tomé and Príncipe, a point that still needs to be checked country by country.
The stated aim of the two communities is to widen the regional market and strengthen the consistency of trade policy between the two blocs, whose external tariffs had until then coexisted without being fully unified.
What it changes for an importer
For an importer buying in China and clearing goods in Cameroon, this new schedule can change the applicable duty rate depending on the category of goods, particularly for textiles, toys, vehicles or construction materials. Sorva checks, for its Cameroonian clients, the tariff classification of sourced products before shipping, so that the landed cost quoted reflects the right rate, without standing in for the Cameroonian customs broker who remains responsible for the final assessment.
The certifications your country requires
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West and Central Africa Mandatory pre-shipment inspection
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Several West and Central African countries require a pre-shipment inspection by a government-appointed body, such as Bureau Veritas (BIVAC), Cotecna or SGS depending on the country, which issues the certificate required for customs clearance.
- Identification of the appointed body for your country
- Pro forma invoice and packing list prepared with the factory
- Factory access and goods ready on inspection day
- Our own check before the inspector arrives
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