Cameroon—In a report, the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) revealed that Cameroon recorded a significant 14.5 percent rise in the value of wine and liquor imports, totaling CFA22.3 billion (US$37M) in 2023.
This increase comes despite a notable decline in the volume of imported beverages.
The NIS report reveals that the country imported 11,206 tons of wines and liquors in 2023, a decrease of 853 tons compared to the previous year’s 12,059 tons.
The rise in import value was driven by a substantial increase in liquor imports, which jumped by CFA3.3 billion (US$5.5M), from CFA7.3 billion (US$12.1M) in 2022 to CFA10.6 billion (US$17.6M) in 2023, marking a 45 percent increase.
Conversely, wine imports saw a decline in both value and volume. By the end of 2023, Cameroon had imported 8,216 tons of wines valued at CFA11.7 billion (US$19.4M), down from 9,311.5 tons worth CFA12.2 billion (US$20.2M) in 2022, reflecting an11.8 percent and 3.7 percent decline, respectively.
According to data from the Trade Data Monitor, French wines dominated the Cameroonian market in 2022, accounting for 71.03 percent of the wine imports. Other significant suppliers included Spain and Belgium, which held 13.5 percent and 9.2 percent of the market share, respectively.
Notably, there has been a surge in the import of Italian wines, which saw a 75 percent increase in 2022, bolstered by promotional campaigns led by the Italian Embassy in Yaoundé.
In April, the NIS reported a remarkable increase in the export of Cameroonian beverages.
Beer exports soared by 73 percent to 12,602 tons, generating CFA5.7 billion (US$92.38 million) in revenue.
Similarly, soft drink exports rose significantly, with a 46.6 percent increase in volume and nearly 61 percent growth in revenue, totaling 7,124 tons and CFA3.5 billion (US$5.8 million).
Despite the presence of brewing facilities in neighboring countries within the CEMAC region, Cameroonian beers and soft drinks remain highly favored, especially in markets like Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
This report comes as beverage industry stakeholders in Cameroon are contemplating price hikes, citing increased tax burdens.
Phillippe Tagne Noubisi, CEO of Dovv, indicated that the Synasdibohycam union plans to raise prices primarily on beers from the Société Anonyme des Boissons du Cameroun (SABC), with small and large bottles seeing increases of CFA50 (US$0.082) and CFA100 (US$0.16) per unit, respectively.
Meanwhile, Roger Tapa, chairman of Synedeboc, announced a uniform CFA100 increase across all beverages, attributing the price hike to escalating tax burdens on producers.
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