Port Overview 

The Port of Douala is accessed through a channel measuring 50km that requires constant dredging. The draught level at Wouri Channel is 5.5m plus tide from 1.85m to 2.9m. Tide variance is between 0.3m at low water and to 2.9m at high water. The draught permitting vessels movements are fixed 1 hour before high tide for berthing or sailing, but no later than 1 hour after. 

Towing is compulsory for vessels above 10,000 tpl.  There are presently 3 tug boats operating in the port. Piloting is compulsory for all vessels. 

Working hours: 

• 2 shifts: 0730hrs - 1700hrs and 1730hrs - 0630hrs 
• Port overtime: Saturday, Sunday, National holidays and after 1800hrs on normal days. 

Holidays: 

• 1^st January : New Year Day [Not workable] 
• 11^th February: Youth Day 
• [Variable] March: Easter Day 
• 1^st May: Labour Day [Not workable] 
• 5^th May: Ascension 
• 20^th May: National day [Not workable] 
• 15^th August: Assumption 
• 25^th December: Christmas day [Not workable] 
• Unfixed: Ramadan & Tabaski

[Not workable day: port operation stopped 1800hrs the day before and resumed 0700hrs the day after. No operation, no sailing or berthing during closure period]          

Port website:  www.pad.cm 

Key port information may also be found at Maritime Database. 

Port Picture

 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

The main clearing agents at the port of Douala are presented in the table below.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Cameroon Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

Source: DIT Douala 2006-2019 

The Douala port authority gave the following rates for Tug and Line Handling Services - these are for 2019 though were originally set in 2005.

Conventional Cargo 

Containerized cargo 

The Douala port authority gave the same rate in 2019 which is unchanged since 2005. The official rates are still as per the following attachments: 

Douala Tariffs 1

Douala Tariffs 2

Douala Tariffs 3

General Cargo Handling Berths

Port Handling Equipment 

Important investments have made in recent years to improve stevedoring at the port of Douala. The concession in 2004 of the containers’ terminal to a private company (Douala International Terminal), a joint-venture between APMT, Bolloré Group and Cameroonians operators) should therefore be viewed as part of the effort of the Cameroonian government to equip the port with modern handling equipment, especially for containers. 

It should be mentioned that bagging machines could be made available in case of bulk cargo. This possibility exists with Nectar. 

Gantry cranes at Douala

Container Facilities 

Most of the terminal had been resurfaced, either tarmac or cobbles, allowing equipment to operate efficiently. Four gantry cranes are functioning which can carry more than 16 mph each. 20 Stevedores have been well trained to operate the cranes. Shore handling equipment is in good order and has sufficient capacity to cope with volume of vessels. Equipment comprises of Top lifters, Reach-stackers and Forklifts that are supplied by the stevedores. The storage/repair yard equipment is modern and in good working order. 

Storage Facilities 

There are 22 hectares of stacking area, 28,000 m² of quay strip and terminal buildings.  

The terminal (Container Terminal ITS GIE) itself has 3 berths and can handle over 5,000 TEU full containers in its stacking area. 15 metres separates stacks, allowing terminal equipment to work. Space is also allocated for Ro-Ro and quay allows cargo/equipment to move around terminal efficiently. 

Stevedoring

The number of dockers at the port of Douala is estimated at about 2,000. They are managed by a joint-venture established by main port operators. 

Security 

The port of Douala has been ISPS compliant since July 1^st 2004.  

Port Overview

The Kribi Seaport (Port Autonome de Kribi - PAK) has a depth of 16 metres, and equipped with high technology port infrastructures including a terminal container accessible to the vessels carrying 8,000 containers in same time. With its 615 m of quay for the first part, the Kribi port can receive at the same time 2 vessels of 290 m carrying 50,000 mt of commodities (this capacity is more than the double of Douala port which maximum is 20,000 mt). Three operational porticos of 68 MT, 35 MT and 25 MT are currently operational.  

During 2018, 274 vessels went to Kribi and processed over 6.4 million tons of goods. Containerised traffic represented 18% of total Kribi movement, representing nearly 84,000 units. Timber constitutes most of the export and malted barley most of the import. 

Port website:

Port Autonome de Kribi 

Container Terminal

Key port information can also be found at: Maritime Database 

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The container port side is an S.A composed of Bollore Transport & Logistic, CMA-CGM, the China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC) and various Cameroonian investors called Kribi Conteneur Terminal or KCT.  

Bolloré Transport & Logistics Cameroun 

BP 4057 Douala - Cameroun 

Tél: (+237) 2 33 50 02 33 

Fax: (+237) 2 33 50 02 32 

Email:Philippe.toure@bollore.com 

Source: www.bollore-transport-logistics.com/lentreprise/implantations/bollore-transport-logistics-cameroun.html 

CMA CGM CAMEROON 

KRIBI Branch Office Nationale 7, Quartier Massaga, Petit Paris Kribi 1er 

KRIBI 

Phone +237 222 46 13 73 

Fax +237 233 43 13 00 

Email dlo.genmbox@cma-cgm.com 

Source : www.cma-cgm.com/local/CM-57/agency 

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Cameroon Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Port Performance 

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges 

Rates and charges for bulk cargo are as follow for 2019: 

• Wheat in bulk: 2017 CFA/mt 
• Other cereals: 2550 CFA/mt 
• Rice in bags: 3765 CFA/mt
• Other food items in bags: 4453 CFA/mt
• Other food items: 8112 CFA/mt 
• Manufactured product, construction material, electrical equipment: from 6193 CFA/mt, to more than 20,000 CFA/mt 

 Rates for containers: 

• 20 Ft food items: 30,000 CFA/unit 
• 20 Ft other items: 50,000 CFA/unit 
• 40 Ft food items: 48,000 CFA/unit 
• 40 Ft other items: 75,000 CFA/unit 
• Empty 20 Ft container: 1350 CFA/unit  
• Empty 40 Ft container: 2700 CFA/unit 

Source: http://www.pak.cm/en/applicables-texts/

Standard Towage Services Charges   

The Hirer shall be charged and pay the hourly tariff for towage services per Gross Tonnage of the respective vessel to be towed as per following table or any updated version thereof established and published in accordance with the Concession:   

 

 

 Water supply: 2.44 Euro / m³ 

Berthing Specifications 

Port Handling Equipment 

Source: http://www.kribi-conteneurs-terminal.com 

Container Facilities 

Pedestrians are not permitted on the site. The container facilities are automatized to their maximum.  All containers are automatically inventoried at their arrival; offload, transport and stored to a designated location. The computer program allows to know exactly the content of each container and where are they in the port.  

Customs Guidance 

The customs procedure is part of the Sydonia system, a CEMAC harmonized customs process. All containers are scanned. This process is delegated to TransAtlantic SA. The costs for each scan are: 

• 65,000 CFA for a 20 Ft container 
• 75,000 CFA for a 40 Ft container 

The following attachments show both procedures for import and export: 

Container Inspection - Import (French)

Container Inspection - Export (French)

For more information on customs in Cameroon, please see the following link: 1.3 Cameroon Customs Information 

Please also see the following link for further information in annexes 11, 12 and 13 on container scanning at PAK: 5 Cameroon Annexes

Terminal Information

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING 

The terminal is not yet equipped with silos or bulk storage capacity.  

There is a 4,000 m2 storage unit, but not in service at the time of assessment.

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL 

Stevedoring 

There is no manual stevedoring presence at the Container Kribi port. 

All are automatized through a computerizes system. 

As for bulk cargo, rates are per Discharge rates above paragraph. 

Hinterland Information 

Land Connectivity

• Ebolowa: 450 km 
• Kye-Ossi: 570 km 
• Bata: 800 km 
• Oyem: 670 km 
• Yaoundé: 300 km 
• Ayos: 450 km 
• Garoua-Boulaï: 885 km 
• Bangui: 1,500 km 
• Yokadouma: 890 km 
• Touboro: 1,280 km 
• Ndjamena: 2,000 km 
• Kisangani: 3,000 km 

Port Security 

The safety equipment of the PAK comprises the following: 

• A 400 MHz radio system 
• A video monitoring system (CCTV) for high traffic density and high risk areas 
• Access control systems (port access card readers) at main entrances and areas where the safety level changes 
• Pedestrian turnstiles for access control 
• Vehicle gate for access control 
• Radiological x-ray scanner 

The fire brigade is equipped with 2 tanks of 500m³, 2 electrical pumps and one diesel pump to guarantee a debit of 80L per second for warehouses located on the multipurpose terminal and 50L per second for the terminal container, 1 jockey pump and 1 pressure tank to maintain a 4-bar pressure in the network.

Port Overview 

Limbé -Tiko is a complex of two ports: 

Limbé Port (4°00’N, 9°12’E) 

Tiko Port (4°4’N, 9°24’E) 

Facilities at this port are essentially designed for the handling of petroleum products for the oil refinery unit of Limbe (the oil refinery of Cameroon is situated in Limbe) and the export of timbers. However, with the current construction of a shipyard and the establishment of a cement company both in Limbe, the government has planned to improve the facilities of this port. 

The annual traffic at the port of Limbe is estimated at 20,000 mt. 

Key port information may also be found at: Maritime Database

Port Facilities 

The Limbe-Tiko Port Complex equipment includes:  

• A berthing wharf;   
• 4 warehouses of 1,638 m² each;   
• A shed equipped with a slipway;   
• A timber stocking yard;   
• 3 fixed cranes.  

Port Overview

Garoua is a seasonal port on the Benué River. It serves the northern regions of Cameroon and its traffic is mostly with the neighbouring Nigeria. The port is active only for three/four months a year during the wet season, which ranges from May to August in northern Cameroon. Traffic at the port has decreased significantly due to a range of factors, including insecurity in the surrounding region, the construction of a hydro-power dam at Lagdo near Garoua which has contributed to the decrease of the volume of the drained water River Benué which supplies Garoua port, and the build-up of sand over recent years.

The management of the Port of Garoua is the responsibility of the town council. 

Key port information can also be found at: Maritime Database

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

Bollore Transport and Logistics is the only key company found in Garoua River Port, with offices in Ngaoundéré. 

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Cameroon Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Port Performance

The port operates mainly during the rainy season, from June to October. The traffic is limited to large canoe with outboard engine (Nigeria-Cameroon). Outside the rainy season, when the river is dried, there is limited traffic (September to May).

Port Facilities

• 250m of quay (2 quays)  
• 12,000m² of stocking yard; 
• 6 warehouses of 4,800 m²

Port Handling Equipment

No container handling equipment available. Port is mostly for break bulk cargo, especially bags.