20 August 2024: UK-Cameroon Economic Partnership Agreement Committee – joint communique
Published 25 October 2024
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The second meeting of the UK-Cameroon Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Committee between Cameroon and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was held on 20 August 2024 in Yaoundé.
This meeting was solemnly opened by Mr Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT), and His Excellency Barry Lowen, British High Commissioner to Cameroon.
The meeting was co-chaired by Mr Jean Tchoffo and Mr Brendan McMullan, the respective heads of the Cameroon and UK delegations. The purpose of the session was to review matters of common interest pertaining to trade policy, EPA utilisation, challenges to trade, development cooperation and governance of the EPA. The meeting was conducted in an open and convivial atmosphere.
The UK and Cameroon provided general trade updates.
For the UK this included updates on:
- the new government’s free trade agreement ambitions
- the Developing Country Trading Scheme
- the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership with Nigeria
For Cameroon this included updates on:
- the African Continental Free Trade Area which it has now ratified
- the Economic Community of Central African States
- the ongoing work towards the development of a common external tariff and prioritised Cameroonian products for export.
Cameroon identified the UK Andean banana tariff review as a key concern given the potential impact of this review on banana exports to the UK.
There was a discussion on trade flows between the Parties. The Parties identified issues affecting trade flows including businesses’ awareness of the EPA. The Parties discussed the importance of business engagement to ensure the benefits offered by the EPA are utilised and contribute to economic growth and increased trade flows. Ideas for increased business engagement were exchanged.
The UK presented an overview of the cumulation provisions within the EPA, an overview of its import control regime (the Border Target Operating Model) and an update on the UK’s Forest Risk Commodities Regulations.
Parties also discussed work to confirm a list of arbitrators as required under the Dispute Settlement chapter.
The UK provided details on trade-related development cooperation being undertaken to support the effective implementation of the EPA and to enhance trade and economic development in Cameroon. This included programming through the UK Trade Partnerships (UKTP) Programme in support of the cocoa processing sector, this programming also previously supported Penja pepper producers. The UK noted the provision of thematic programming through British International Investment (BII) and Citi’s risk sharing facility to support trade finance and the Forest Governance, Markets and Climate programme in support of reform of the global timber market. The UK also provided an update on the UKEF projects underway in Cameroon. Cameroon noted that it is undertaking consultations with civil society and the private sector to identify priorities for development cooperation.
Finally, the Parties agreed to meet in London in 2025, on a date to be determined, for the third statutory meeting of the Cameroon-United Kingdom EPA Committee.