L’aide pour le commerce dans le secteur manufacturier : Le cas du Cameroun[Aid for trade in manufacturing: the case of Cameroon]

Although the world markets are more and more opened following the successive waves of trade liberalization, there are numerous factors returning the competition more difficult for the most part of developing countries such as Cameroon, especially as regards of trade in the manufactured goods. It is to enable these countries to improve their international insertion and to benefit widely from results which will be obtained at the end of the Doha round that was initiated the Aid for trade initiative (AFT). The objective of this study is to analyse this initiative, such as it is implemented presently, to see if it can contribute to improve the manufacturing supply, an so facilitate the achievement by Cameroon of the status of emerging country before 2035. From a statistical analysis of the various streams and the existing mechanisms, we note that the AFT, such implemented presently, is unable to reduce the supply's constraints in Cameroonian’s manufacturing. This is due to the fact that choices tuned a particular attention on trade capacities (elaboration of the trade policy, participation in the negotiations) and little on the productive dynamics and on the intensification of the industrial potential of the country. Now, without industry, no trade. Under the hypothesis that the increasing interest of the donors for the AFT will pull an additional increase of the AFT in Cameroon, we suggest that a particular accent must be tuned to the productive capacities during the elaboration and the implementation of any AFT program in Cameroonian manufacturing through a support for the technological apprenticeship and innovation, and through the industrial upgrading.