HOW TO EXPORT UNDER THE EPA?
Negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the eight countries that make up the Central Africa region were launched in October 2003. The EPA between Cameroon and the EU came into force in 2014, paving the way for a regional agreement that is open to any country or group of countries in the region wishing to ratify the Agreement.
How to export to the European Union?
- Make sure your product meets EU regulations
To benefit from the EPA, your product must first and foremost meet European regulatory requirements (packaging, labelling, use of pesticides, food additives or other substances in the production process).
- Make sure your product originates from Cameroon
To find out whether your products meet the rules of origin for duty-free export to the EU, consult the Access2Markets platform and select the "rules of origin" tab in the search results for your product. You will find all the necessary information on the applicable criteria in this section.
- Obtaining an EUR.1 certificate of origin
Eligibility for the preferential regime established by the EPA is subject to the presentation of a certificate of origin (EUR.1 movement certificate), which must be presented for the goods to be cleared through customs. The EUR.1 certificate is issued by the Cameroon Customs department upon written request by the exporter or, under the exporter's responsibility, by his authorised representative.
NB: The exporter applying for an EUR.1 certificate must be prepared to present all the required documents attesting to the originating status of the products concerned at any time, and at the request of the Cameroon Customs department.
- Invoice/origin declaration (without EUR.1 certificate)
Products originating from Cameroon can be exempted from customs duties when exported to the EU under two conditions, simply by presenting a declaration made by the exporter on an invoice, a delivery note or other commercial document providing a detailed description of the products ("invoice declaration"):
1. When the exporter is an "Approved Exporter". Approved exporters are exporters who frequently export and offer all the guarantees required to verify the authenticity and origin of their products. This category of exporters are authorised by the Cameroon Customs Department to make out invoice declarations, regardless of the value of the products concerned;
2. When the consignment consists of one or more items containing products originating from Cameroon, with a total value not exceeding 6,000 Euros.