Cameroon and the United Kingdom have set November 30 to December 4, 2026, for a trade and investment mission in London aimed at securing British financing, technology and industrial partnerships.
The dates were confirmed during talks in Yaoundé on November 2 between Cameroon’s Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana and British High Commissioner Matthew David Woods. According to the Ministry of Trade, the meeting reviewed preparations and the program for the upcoming mission.
The delegation will include representatives of Cameroonian government departments, public and private companies, business associations, economic interest groups and professional organizations seeking British partners for their projects. Areas of cooperation include financing, technology, technical expertise, and commercial and industrial partnerships.
The mission was first discussed publicly in September, when the ministry identified energy, infrastructure, agriculture, agro-industry, consumer goods and manufacturing among the sectors targeted for potential partnerships. The November 2 meeting confirmed the five-day schedule and reviewed preparations for the visit.
Bilateral Trade Falls to CFA185 Billion
Trade between Cameroon and the United Kingdom has declined sharply. According to a UK government trade and investment factsheet published on July 31, bilateral trade fell 32%, or £114 million, to £242 million (approximately CFA185 billion) in the 12 months ending March 2026.
UK imports from Cameroon dropped 36% to £155 million, while British exports to Cameroon declined 23.7% to £87 million. Trade in goods fell 48.9% to £116 million, compared with a 2.3% decline in services trade to £126 million.
The contraction was driven largely by weaker British demand for Cameroonian commodities. UK imports of Cameroonian crude oil plunged 67.4% to £37.2 million, while purchases of wood and cork fell 18.1% to £20.9 million. Fruit and vegetable imports, however, rose 37% to £22.8 million, according to the same figures, also reported by Business in Cameroon and Investir au Cameroun in September.
British investment followed a different trend. The UK’s foreign direct investment stock in Cameroon reached £98 million (approximately CFA75 billion) at the end of 2024, up 10.1% from a year earlier. The figure represents the accumulated value of British direct investment in Cameroon, rather than new commitments associated with the upcoming mission.
The two countries trade under an Economic Partnership Agreement signed in March 2021 and in force since July 9 of that year. The agreement grants eligible Cameroonian exports duty-free and quota-free access to the British market, while Cameroon gradually reduces tariffs on selected British imports.
Cameroonian authorities hope the London mission will strengthen business ties, attract investment and support local processing industries. No investment commitments or financing amounts were disclosed following the November 2 meeting.
Mercy Fosoh
