Cameroon is aiming to bolster the capacity of its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access the U.S. market, despite being excluded from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III, launched the Export Readiness Program on May 28, 2026, in Douala. This initiative, led by the American Liaison in Africa (ALA) platform, is designed to prepare local SMEs to meet the compliance, structuring, and competitiveness requirements of the U.S. market.
Approximately one hundred economic operators will participate in a two-day training covering various aspects of exporting, including business structuring, logistics, standards, traceability, business networking, and legal protection. Following Douala, the program is expected to expand to other cities in the country.
Emilie Siewe, promoter of ALA, emphasizes that this program will provide companies with the tools, compliance knowledge, and operational strategies necessary to export goods and services internationally, particularly to the U.S. market. For ALA, the export potential exists, but its realization depends on better informing Cameroonian companies about business opportunities and rigorously preparing them for U.S. standards.
Minister Achille Bassilekin III hopes that the Export Readiness Program will help strengthen business relations between Yaoundé and Washington. The Cameroonian government aims to have more SMEs better prepared to export to the United States through this program and relies on the support of institutional and private partners to disseminate useful information to local exporters.
Trade between Cameroon and the United States remains limited compared to the size of the U.S. market. In 2025, U.S. imports of Cameroonian goods reached $287.7 million, while U.S. exports to Cameroon amounted to $169.3 million. For Cameroonian SMEs, access to a market of nearly 350 million people will depend on their ability to meet quality standards, documentary requirements, traceability rules, certifications, logistical deadlines, and legal conditions of international trade.
The Export Readiness initiative is seen as an opportunity to strengthen the capacity of Cameroonian businesses to access international markets, especially the United States. It remains to be seen whether this program will translate into a concrete operational roadmap, going beyond initial training, with support in certification, access to financing, and product adaptation.
Cameroon was excluded from AGOA in 2019 due to human rights violations. The country is therefore seeking alternative ways to develop its trade with the United States.
