Chad record rise in informal livestock exports to Cameroon
Unrecorded cross-border cattle trade between Chad and Cameroon climbs sharply despite security and logistical challenges
CHAD – Informal livestock exports from Chad to Cameroon reached an estimated US$63 million in 2024, whish represents a 20.3% increase compared to the previous year, according to a new report from Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics (INS).
The data shows that Chad continues to dominate the informal livestock value chain in Central Africa, driven by porous borders and high demand for meat in Cameroon.
The Far North region remains the key entry point for cattle moving from Chad into Cameroon, where thousands of animals are traded outside official customs and veterinary channels.
During 2024, sales of Chadian livestock represented nearly 49.8% of the total informal trade between the two countries, reinforcing the scale of unrecorded cross-border activity.
In total, informal imports from Chad to Cameroon were valued at about US$127 million during the year, giving Chad a 27% share of Cameroon’s total unregistered imports, second only to Nigeria.
This marks a 15.1% rise from 2023, reversing the previous year’s decline and confirming Chad’s importance as a regional livestock supplier.
Growing Informal Trade Burden
Across all neighboring countries, Cameroon’s informal imports were estimated at US$472 million in 2024, up 5.6% from 2023, highlighting continued losses in tax and customs revenue for the government.
The INS report noted that nearly half of these unrecorded goods entered Cameroon through the Far North region, which accounted for 49.4% of total informal imports, followed by the North region with 20.8%.
The report added that fuel and lubricants (22.1%) made up the largest share of informal imports, followed by live animals (14.6%), reflecting the growing role of livestock in cross-border smuggling networks.
Despite persistent insecurity linked to Boko Haram in the Far North, livestock and fuel smuggling have remained active, showing the resilience of informal trade routes in conflict-affected areas.
Shifts in Regional Trade Patterns
However, other regions of Cameroon experienced a slowdown in informal trade during 2024.
The Southwest region recorded a 38.7% drop in illegal imports due to the ongoing Anglophone crisis, while Adamaoua and East regions saw declines of 17.5% and 3.3%, respectively.
According to the INS, deteriorating road conditions, security risks, and armed group activity continue to disrupt trade routes in these areas.
The findings suggest that, even as insecurity and poor infrastructure weigh on parts of the country, the informal livestock trade between Chad and Cameroon remains a vital but unregulated component of the regional meat economy.
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