Cameroon’s trade deficit improved by 3.8% in 2020, or about 56 billion CFA francs, compared to 2019, resulting from the combined decline in import expenditure (-16.5%) and export earnings (-24.2%)
In 2020, the trade balance deficit amounted to 1,409 billion CFA francs, an improvement of 56 billion CFA francs (3.8%) compared to 2019. This situation is the result of a decrease in export earnings of 579 billion CFA francs (-24.2%) year-on-year, coupled with a more pronounced decrease in import expenditure of 635 billion CFA francs (-16.5%) compared to 2019. This contraction in foreign trade during 2020 is the consequence of the measures taken around the world to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the coverage rate has lost six percentage points compared to 2019, and stands at 56.3%.