CEMAC Import Ledger

Electronics reselling, from China to Cameroon

Phone accessories, earbuds, power banks, chargers — electronics move fast in Douala and Yaoundé markets. Here’s what the landed cost actually looks like before you order.

Landed cost / unit — Cameroon

8 506 FCFA

$14.92

Cleared

Margin at your resale price

3 494 FCFA(29.1%)

Break even at 8 506 FCFA · total order 850 559 FCFA

Where your money goes

Goods 54%Freight 15%Duty 14%VAT 16%Levies 2%
$

Electronics, fashion, beauty, home goods (most resale items)

$
FCFA
%
%
%

Luxury goods & vehicles only

$

Clearing agent, transport

VAT for Cameroon: 17.5% VAT plus a 10% additional council surcharge = 19.25% effective. Changing the destination country resets VAT to that country's standard rate.

Goods value (FOB)$800.00
Freight$220.00
Insurance (0.5%)$4.00
CIF — customs valuation basis$1024.00
Customs duty (20%)Category III — Consumer goods$204.80
Computer fee (redevance informatique) (1%)$10.24
CEMAC community integration tax (TCI) (1%)$10.24
African integration contribution (CIA) (0.2%)$2.05
VAT (19.25%)charged on duty-inclusive value$240.88
Total landed cost$1492.21
Per unit8 506 FCFA

20% margin

10 632 FCFA

30% margin

12 151 FCFA

40% margin

14 176 FCFA

50% margin

17 011 FCFA

Margin here is on the selling price, not markup on cost. A 40% margin means 40% of what the customer pays is yours before your own selling costs.

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Three things that catch electronics importers out

Battery items ship differently

Power banks, wireless earbuds, and anything with a built-in lithium battery usually can't travel by normal air cargo without extra documentation, and some couriers refuse them outright. Confirm your freight forwarder handles battery goods before committing to a supplier — it changes your freight cost and sometimes forces you onto sea freight.

Budget for dead-on-arrival units

Low-cost electronics from unvetted suppliers commonly have a 5–10% defect rate. Build that into your margin — a healthy-looking 35% margin can disappear if one in ten units doesn't power on and you have no local warranty to fall back on.

Most electronics sit in the 20% duty bracket

Phones, tablets, computers, and accessories are typically Category III under the CEMAC tariff. A small number of items (certain telecom equipment) can be classified differently, so confirm the HS code for anything you order at volume.

Other product categories

Same calculator, pre-loaded with realistic numbers and the import gotchas for each category.

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Other CEMAC destinations

All six CEMAC states share the same customs duty brackets — VAT and local fees differ.

Cameroon import duty & tax guide

Every levy explained — duty brackets, VAT, SGS inspection, community taxes.

The CEMAC common external tariff

Cameroon, Gabon, Chad, Congo, CAR, and Equatorial Guinea share this bracket structure — the duty logic below applies across all six, though VAT and local fees still vary by country.

5%

Category I — Essentials

Medicines, books, agricultural inputs

10%

Category II — Raw & industrial

Raw materials, industrial equipment

20%

Category III — Consumer goods

Electronics, fashion, beauty, home goods (most resale items)

30%

Category IV — Non-essential

Perfumes, vehicles, premium/luxury goods