(Business in Cameroon) - Import traffic was very dynamic at the Kribi port’s multipurpose terminal in 2022, reports from the Port Authority PAK showed. According to available information, imports were a minor activity at this terminal between 2018 and 2021 before this take-off.

"Traffic at the multipurpose terminal between 2018 and 2021 was mainly dominated by log exports. But since the beginning of 2022, imports have taken over, with the import of clinker,” PAK explained in an official document. In detail, the import of clinker alone accounted for 81% of the import traffic at the terminal and 54% of the overall import-export traffic. This is linked to the fact that unloading operations previously carried out at the port of Douala have been transferred to the port of Kribi, due to its draught, which allows large vessels to dock. As a result, in 2022, clinker imports at the port of Douala fell by 13% year-on-year.

In addition, PAK reported a steady increase in the overall performance of its multipurpose terminal. Between 2018 and 2021, the average annual growth rate in cargo volumes handled at this terminal was 86%, compared with just 35% at the container terminal.

The strong impetus at the MP terminal also coincides with the arrival of the Philippine group International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), which operates the terminal through its subsidiary Kribi Multipurpose Terminal (KMT). "This milestone is the result of the international tender process launched in early 2019, through which KMT, a subsidiary of ICTSI, won the bid with a convincing and sustainable offer in terms of investment and potential traffic diversification. PAK warmly welcomes this new operator to the port community", PAK said when signing the contract on July 27, 2020.