EPA - Central Africa

The EU-Central Africa EPA makes it easier for people and businesses from the EU and Cameroon to invest in and trade with each other, and to spur development across Central Africa. Learn how the EU’s EPA with Cameroon can benefit your trade.

At a glance

Negotiations for a comprehensive EPA with the whole Central Africa region were launched in 2003. To date, an EPA between the EU and Cameroon entered into force, constituting a step towards achieving a full regional agreement.

The agreement provides Cameroon with duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market for all products. These include bananas, aluminium, processed cocoa products, plywood, and other fresh and processed agricultural products.
In return, the EU benefits from a gradual liberalisation of access for its products to the Cameroonian market, which began on 4 August 2016.

Benefiting countries

Cameroon is the only Central African country currently implementing the EPA.
Other CEMAC countries (Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, São Tomé & Príncipe) are least-developed countries and benefit from duty-free, quota-free EU access under the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme.
Congo (Brazzaville) trades under the EU GSP scheme.
Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, as upper-middle-income countries, are no longer eligible for GSP or EBA preferences (Gabon since 2014; Equatorial Guinea since 2021).
The EU and Central African regional organisations (CEMAC and ECCAS) continue to study the possibility of a comprehensive EPA using the stepping-stone agreement with Cameroon.

Trade picture

Total trade in goods between the EU and Central African countries amounted to €17.9 billion in 2024.
The EU is the second-largest trading partner of Central African countries.
The main exports from Central Africa to the EU are crude oil (around 41% of total exports), as well as copper, cocoa, wood products and diamonds.
The main exports from the EU to Central Africa include machinery and mechanical appliances, foodstuffs, chemicals and vegetable products.
Cameroon accounts for around 26% of total EU–Central Africa trade. Since the provisional application of the EPA with Cameroon in 2014, trade between the EU and Cameroon has increased significantly.

Asymmetric provisions in favour of Central Africa

Taking full account of the differences in levels of development between parties, the EPA foresees asymmetries provisions in favour of Cameroon, such as the exclusion of sensitive products from liberalisation, long liberalisation periods, flexible rules of origin, and special safeguards and measures for certain sensitive agricultural markets and industries.

While EU markets are immediately and fully open to Cameroonian products, Cameroon has 15 years to open its markets to EU imports. Around 20% of the most sensitive products remain permanently protected from liberalisation.

Tariffs

The EU grants zero duties and zero quotas to imports coming from Cameroon. The access to the EU market is permanent, full and free for all products.
Cameroon phases out duties on 80% of goods gradually, over 15 years. Sensitive products, including most types of meat, wines and spirits, malt, milk products, flour, certain vegetables, wood and wood products, used clothes and textiles, paintings, and used tyres are entirely excluded from liberalisation.
Use the search option of My Trade Assistant to find the exact information on duties and tariffs for your specific product, taking into consideration its country of origin and destination. If in doubt, contact your customs authorities.

Rules of origin

In order to qualify for preferential treatment, your product will need to satisfy the rules of origin under the agreement. Please check the interactive “Rules of Origin Self Assessment tool (ROSA)” in My Trade Assistant to assess whether your product fulfils the rules of origin and find out how to prepare the correct documents.

General information about the rules of origin is available below.

New, improved rules of origin are currently under negotiation and will be annexed to the EPA as soon as possible.

In the meantime, Cameroon benefits from the general EPA improved rules of origin, included in Council Regulation 2016/1076 (ex 1528/2007) on EU market access

Tolerance

Tolerances included in the EPA are more lenient than the usual ones. They mount to 15% in ex-work price of the final product, instead of 10% foreseen in most of the EU's agreements. For textile and clothing, specific tolerances apply.

Cumulation

The EU-Central Africa EPA includes the following types of cumulation:

Bilateral cumulation with the EU.
Diagonal cumulation and Full cumulation with OCTs and ACP countries, under certain conditions.
Cumulation with neighbouring developing countries, under certain conditions.

Direct transport

Evidence of direct transport must be brought to the customs authorities of the importing country.

Duty drawback

Refunds may be claimed for duties paid on materials which were previously imported for further processing and then exported to a country which has signed an EPA with the EU.

Vessels conditions

Fish caught in high seas and in the Exclusive Economic Zones of Cameroon can be considered as originating in Cameroon solely when it is caught by vessels that fulfil certain criteria. These criteria refer to the place of registration of a vessel, to the flag under which they "sail," and to their ownership.

There is no specific requirement on the nationality of the crew, masters or officers. These requirements, which were in the original Cotonou Agreement, have now been removed to facilitate the conferring of origin to fish caught by EPA countries.

Product specific rules of origin

Check the product specific rules of origin for your product via My Trade Assistant

Product requirements

Technical rules and requirements

Learn about the technical requirements, rules and procedures that goods have to meet in order to be imported in the European Union.
Search for the specific rules and regulations applicable to your product and its country of origin in the My Trade Assistant database.

Health and safety requirements SPS

Learn about the general health, safety, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards that goods have to meet in order to be imported into the European Union.
Search for the health, safety and SPS rules applicable to your product and its country of origin in the My Trade Assistant database.

Custom clearance documents and procedures

Proofs of origin

To become an approved exporter, you must be able to prove to your customs authorities the originating status of your products, as well as any other requirements they may impose.

The customs authorities can withdraw your approved exporter status in case of misuse. To find out more about the procedures, contact your customs authorities.

To qualify for preferential duty rates, products originating in Cameroon must be accompanied by a proof of origin. Proof of origin remains valid for 10 months. This can be either:
- Movement Certificate EUR.1 - issued by the customs authorities of the exporting country. The exporter (or authorised representative) applying for a certificate must be prepared to submit documents proving the originating status of the products concerned on request and fulfill the other requirements of the rules of origin Protocol.
- an invoice declaration – issued by any exporter, for consignments valued 6,000 EUR or less, or by approved exporters, for consignments of any value. When filling in an invoice declaration, you should be prepared to submit documents proving the originating status of your products.

Investment

Find specific information about investments from abroad into the EU
Find general information to enable your investment abroad

Mediation and arbitration

The rules of procedure for mediation and arbitration as well as the code of conduct for arbitrators have been recently adopted, with Council Decision 2019/1954.

Competition

Since 2014, the EU has stopped export subsidies on all products exported to all EPA countries.
The EU has minimised measures with production and trade- distorting
If local industry is threatened because of import surges from Europe, the EPA allows Cameroon to trigger measures to in order to protect sensitive sectors.

Development cooperation

In order to be able to take full advantage of the EPA's trade preferences, the agreement has also a cooperation component.

Sustainable development

EPAs are explicitly based on the "essential and fundamental" elements set out in the Samoa Agreement, i.e. human rights, democratic principles, the rule of law, and good governance.

The "non-execution clause" means that “appropriate measures” (as set out under the Samoa Agreement) can be taken if any party fails to fulfil its obligations in respect of the essential elements. This may include the suspension of trade benefits.

The joint EPA Committee is tasked with the function of monitoring and assessing the impact of the implementation on the sustainable development of the Parties.

Useful links and documents

My Trade Assistant – everything you need to know for your specific exports/imports from/to the EU
See the full text of the Interim EU – Central Africa EPA