The Cameroon National Shippers' Council is organising a workshop on Rules of Origin in Douala from 29 June to 2 July 2026. In a world characterised by numerous trade agreements, this workshop seeks to deepen understanding of the technical aspects of these rules, which are considered a key factor in trade facilitation, as acknowledged by World Customs Organisation (WCO) expert Mr. Guillaume Geroud. 

The workshop kicked off on Monday, 29 June 2026, with an opening address by CNSC's General Manager Mr. Auguste Mbappe Penda, who seized the opportunity to express his gratitude to the European Union, the WCO, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) for their support in organising this workshop. Appreciation was further addressed to the Director General of Customs Mr. Fongod Edwin Nuvaga, for his approval to host the workshop in Cameroon. In conclusion, Mr. Auguste Mbappe Penda invited participants to make the most of the knowledge shared by experts.

About fifty participants from public and private sector organisations, SMEs and foreign trade stakeholders are taking part in this workshop, with technical support from experts from the WCO, ECCAS, CEMAC and Cameroon’s customs authorities.

The poor appropriation of these rules limits the expected benefits of trade agreements, as regretfully noted by ECCAS expert Dr. Jacob Kotcho Bongwaha. With this in mind, this workshop on rules of origin holding in Douala also envisages the creation of a focus group of qualified trainers to help foreign trade stakeholders improve their understanding of rules of origin for their future endeavours.