CEMAC Import Ledger

China to Cameroon: landed cost calculator

Customs duty, 19.25% VAT, freight and your real resale margin — worked out before you commit capital. Entry via Douala.

Landed cost / unit — Cameroon

3 252 FCFA

$5.71

Cleared

Margin at your resale price

1 748 FCFA(35.0%)

Break even at 3 252 FCFA · total order 650 379 FCFA

Where your money goes

Goods 53%Freight 16%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)$600.00
Freight$180.00
Insurance (0.5%)$3.00
CIF — customs valuation basis$783.00
Customs duty (20%)Category III — Consumer goods$156.60
Computer fee (redevance informatique) (1%)$7.83
CEMAC community integration tax (TCI) (1%)$7.83
African integration contribution (CIA) (0.2%)$1.57
VAT (19.25%)charged on duty-inclusive value$184.19
Total landed cost$1141.02
Per unit3 252 FCFA

20% margin

4 065 FCFA

30% margin

4 646 FCFA

40% margin

5 420 FCFA

50% margin

6 504 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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Importing into Cameroon: what to know

VAT: 17.5% VAT plus a 10% additional council surcharge = 19.25% effective — currently 19.25%. Because VAT is assessed on the duty-inclusive value rather than the goods value, the effective bite is larger than the headline rate suggests.

Port of entry: Douala handles the bulk of container traffic; Kribi Deep Sea Port takes larger vessels.

Duty: As a CEMAC member, Cameroon applies the same common external tariff as the other five member states. If you already know your product's duty band for Cameroon, it is the same band here — only VAT and national fees change.

Common questions

What is the import VAT rate in Cameroon?

Cameroon applies a VAT rate of 19.25% on imports. 17.5% VAT plus a 10% additional council surcharge = 19.25% effective. VAT is charged on the duty-inclusive value, meaning the CIF value plus customs duty and applicable levies — not on the goods value alone.

What customs duty applies to imports into Cameroon?

Cameroon is a CEMAC member and applies the CEMAC common external tariff: 5% on essentials, 10% on raw materials and industrial equipment, 20% on consumer goods, and 30% on non-essential and luxury goods. Most resale merchandise falls in the 20% band.

Which port serves Cameroon?

Douala. Douala handles the bulk of container traffic; Kribi Deep Sea Port takes larger vessels.

Other CEMAC destinations

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

Calculate by product category

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

Cameroon import duty & tax guide

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

The CEMAC common external tariff

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