# Douala (CM DLA)

**UN/LOCODE:** CM DLA  
**Country:** Cameroon  
**Water Body:** Gulf of Guinea; North Atlantic Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Medium  
**Harbor Type:** River (Natural)  
**GPS:** 4.0500, 9.6833

Once handling more than 95 per cent of Cameroon's sea cargo, Douala has seen that dominance challenged by the new deepwater port at Kribi — yet it remains the country's principal commercial gateway, moving about 12.92 million tonnes in 2024, up 6 per cent on 2023. Located on the Wouri estuary off the Gulf of Guinea, it serves not only Cameroon but the landlocked economies of Chad and the Central African Republic, whose trade moves along the corridors to N'Djamena and Bangui. The port handles containers, breakbulk, dry bulk and vehicles through a terminal (DIT) upgraded with international financing. A key constraint is the river access: the channel is relatively shallow and needs regular dredging, capping vessel size. Hinterland links run by road and by rail into the interior. Customs handling is well established for Cameroonian and CEMAC transit trade. For larger ships, Kribi now offers a capable national alternative. Even so, Douala stays one of Central Africa's most important calls.

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/douala-port-cm-dla](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/douala-port-cm-dla)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/douala-port-cm-dla](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/douala-port-cm-dla)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/douala-port-cm-dla/llm-summary?lang=en*