Cameroon’s Alucam reports 2.5 times growth in aluminium exports to France, strengthening revenue earnings

Alucam, a Cameroon-based aluminium company engaged in producing ingots, plates, coils, sheets, and discs, has reported substantial growth in the export of raw aluminium to France in 2023. The export volume amounted to 15,879 tonnes, making aluminium the fifth largest product being shipped from Cameroon to France in 2023.  

France has become a dominant destination for Cameroon’s aluminium exports. In 2023, the European country alone received 36 per cent of Cameroon’s aluminium exports, contributing about 38.4 per cent of the country’s export revenue. Throughout 2023, Cameroon’s total aluminium exports reached 43,916 tonnes, generating CFA54.2 billion.

On August 19, 2024, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) backed the data, revealing that these exports brought in CFA 20.8 billion for Cameroon. The INS data also showed that Alucam’s raw aluminium exports to France increased by 2.5 times in two years. In 2021, the export volume was 6,307.3 tonnes, generating revenue of CFA7.5 billion. The export volume surged to 10,308.8 tonnes in 2022, with export earnings of around CFA12.4 billion.

Besides supplying overseas, Alucam sells a considerable volume of its 70,000 tonnes of production among local companies.  For instance, in 2023, Alucam sold 37.3 per cent of its output locally, providing raw aluminium to local processers like the Chinese company Everwell Cameroun, which makes electrical cables, and Phoenix Aluminium Cameroon, which produces aluminium profiles.

Alucam’s local market prospects are expected to enhance further starting in 2027, with the beginning of serving a new client, Proalu SA. On August 13, 2024, Proalu SA, a subsidiary of the steel giant Prometal Groupe, signed a commercial contract with the Cameroon government and Alucam to build an industrial complex for aluminium processing in Douala-Bassa. This project guarantees CFA48 billion of annual revenue along with advance payments, boosting the financial position of Alucam.