How the Price Is Built, and How to Get Yours
Cocoa doesn’t have a price list. It has a market that moves every trading day, and a contract price that depends on what you buy, how much, and where the seller’s responsibility ends.
This page shows the current reference prices for Cameroon cocoa, explains what sits inside a FOB Douala figure, and tells you what we need to quote your order.
COCOA BEANS PRICE PER TON
In early October 2026, Cameroon cocoa was quoted at 3,084 FCFA per kg FOB Douala, about $5,270 per metric ton, while New York cocoa futures traded near $5,670 per ton. The price you pay depends on grade, volume, crop timing and shipping terms.
Those two numbers move together, though not in lockstep. The futures market sets the direction. The physical price for Cameroon beans then sits above or below it, depending on quality and how much cocoa is available at origin that week.
That’s why two buyers can get different prices on the same day. One wants a single container next month, the other wants a year of regular shipments at a tighter moisture limit. Same origin, different cocoa beans price per ton.
3,084 FCFA per kg on October 2, 2026, about $5,270 per metric ton.
New York cocoa futures traded near $5,670 per metric ton in late September 2026.
Futures are in U.S. dollars per metric ton. Cameroon publishes prices in FCFA per kg.
Cameroon's cocoa market is liberalized. Prices are negotiated, not fixed by the government.
FOB Douala moved between 1,520 and 3,110 FCFA per kg during 2025/26.
We quote per order on FOB Douala, with CFR or CIF on request. No fixed price list.
REFERENCE PRICES
Cameroon’s National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC) publishes daily reference prices. These are the latest figures we recorded, converted to a price per metric ton.
Cameroon cocoa reference prices, October 2, 2026
| Price type | FCFA per kg | Per metric ton (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Farmgate, Douala | 2,650 to 2,700 | €4,040 to €4,120 $4,530 to $4,610 |
| FOB Douala | 3,084 | €4,700 $5,270 |
| CIF | 3,162 | €4,820 $5,400 |
Last updated : October 6, 2026. Source: ONCC daily prices. Euro figures use the fixed rate of 655.957 FCFA per euro. Dollar figures use about 585 FCFA per dollar and will shift with the exchange rate. These are market references, not Makay offers.
FOB Douala price range by season
| Season | FCFA per kg | Per metric ton (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 3,808 to 7,536 | €5,810 to €11,490 |
| 2025/26 | 1,520 to 3,110 | €2,320 to €4,740 |
Season ranges as reported from ONCC export data. A swing this wide inside one season is the reason quotes come with a validity date.
PRICE BUILD-UP
In the cocoa trade, a physical price is usually the futures price plus or minus a differential. Here is what goes into that sum, in order.
FOB price = futures price ± differential. The differential carries quality, origin costs and how tight supply is.
ICE New York cocoa is quoted in U.S. dollars per metric ton, in 10-ton contracts for March, May, July, September and December. ICE London is quoted in pounds per tonne.
Every origin trades at a premium or discount to futures. Under ICE New York delivery rules, Cameroon cocoa sits in Group B and carries an $80 per ton premium over par growths.
Fermentation, moisture, bean count and defects all move the number. A lot that meets a tighter specification costs more.
Transport to Douala, conditioning, bagging, inspection, export duties and levies, port handling and loading are all inside a FOB price.
Ocean freight and cargo cover turn a FOB Douala price into a price delivered to your port.
Duties, entry fees, customs brokerage and inland delivery sit outside every one of these terms. Our USA cocoa beans importer page lists them for U.S. buyers.
Four things explain most of the gap between one quotation and the next.
Weather and crop disease in West Africa move the whole market. New York futures hit a record near $12,565 in December 2024 and were under half of that by late 2026.
Our standard is about 8% moisture and a minimum of 75% fermentation. Tighter limits, a set bean count or a specific drying method change the price.
A full program priced across several shipments is quoted differently from one container. Where you are in Cameroon's August-to-July season matters too.
FOB Douala, CFR and CIF put different costs in the price. Payment method and timing also affect what a seller can offer.
See the product side on our bulk cocoa beans page and how lots are checked under quality assurance.
REFERENCE PRICES
FOB Douala means the seller delivers the cocoa on board the vessel at the port of Douala, Cameroon. From that point, cost and risk belong to the buyer.
| Cost item | FOB Douala | CFR | CIF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beans to contract specification, bagged | Included | Included | Included |
| Transport to port, export clearance, origin duties and levies | Included | Included | Included |
| Loading on board at Douala | Included | Included | Included |
| Ocean freight to your port | Buyer | Included | Included |
| Marine cargo insurance | Buyer | Buyer | Included (minimum cover) |
| Import duties, entry fees, customs clearance | Buyer | Buyer | Buyer |
| Delivery from port to warehouse | Buyer | Buyer | Buyer |
The example uses the October 2, 2026 FOB Douala reference. Cocoa is traded in metric tons, not U.S. short tons.
WHY MAKAY
You get an offer built on your tonnage, specification and schedule, not a generic per-bag figure.
Every quotation names the Incoterm and the port, so you can see where our price stops and your costs begin.
Moisture, fermentation, packaging and inspection terms sit in the same contract as the price.
Your contract is with a U.S.-registered company in Clayton, Missouri, sourcing through its own supply model in Cameroon.
Tell us the quantity in metric tons and whether it is one shipment or a recurring program.
Give your destination port and choose FOB Douala, CFR or CIF. Not sure? Say so and we'll talk it through.
Share your limits for moisture, fermentation and grade, plus any preference on drying method or bag size.
An expected shipment date lets us check supply at origin for the right part of the season.
You get the price, its validity period, the payment method and the shipping basis in writing.
Once the terms work for you, price and quality are recorded in the contract before preparation begins.
BEFORE YOU COMPARE
The lowest number on the page isn’t always the cheapest cocoa. Before you line up two offers, check that they are quoting the same thing.
FAQS
Can’t find your answer ? Email sales@makayglobaltrading.com or call +1 800 965 8307.
There is no single price. On October 2, 2026, Cameroon’s cocoa board published a FOB Douala reference of 3,084 FCFA per kg, about $5,270 per metric ton, while New York futures traded near $5,670 in late September. Your contract price depends on quality, volume, timing and shipping terms.
The FOB Douala reference published by Cameroon’s National Cocoa and Coffee Board was 3,084 FCFA per kg on October 2, 2026. That works out to roughly €4,700 or $5,270 per metric ton. It is a market reference, not a Makay offer.
Cameroon liberalized cocoa prices in the 1990s, so there is no government-fixed price. Farmers and buyers negotiate, using the daily reference prices published by the National Cocoa and Coffee Board. Export prices follow the world futures market, adjusted for quality and local supply.
FOB Douala covers the beans prepared to the contract specification, bagging, transport to the port, export clearance, origin duties and levies, and loading on board the vessel. It does not include ocean freight, marine insurance, or import costs at destination.
Multiply the per-kg price by 1,000 to get the price per metric ton. One metric ton equals 2,204.62 pounds, or 16 bags of 62.5 kg. To convert FCFA to euros, divide by 655.957, the fixed exchange rate.
Most cocoa comes from a few West African countries, so bad weather or crop disease there moves the whole market. Prices averaged about $3,180 per ton in 2023. New York futures then hit a record near $12,565 in December 2024 and traded around $5,670 in late September 2026.
Yes. Each origin trades at its own differential to the futures market. Under ICE New York delivery rules, Ghana and Ivory Coast cocoa carries a $160 per ton premium and Cameroon cocoa an $80 premium. Physical differentials move with quality and supply.
It can. A quotation reflects market conditions, grade, volume, crop timing and freight responsibilities, so an offer built around your full order is more useful than a generic per-bag price. Send your tonnage and schedule for an accurate figure.
Cocoa prices move every trading day, so every quotation carries a validity period. Check that date, the Incoterm and what the price includes before you compare one offer with another.
Send your quantity in metric tons, destination country and port, preferred shipping term (FOB Douala, CFR or CIF), expected shipment date, and any requirements for moisture, fermentation, grade, drying method or bag size. A target price helps too.
Tell us your quantity, destination port, specifications and delivery schedule.
Our team will review your requirements and send a quotation.
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