China Eximbank Signs $423 Million Loan Toward Cameroon Seaport Building

Eximbank of China and Cameroon Wednesday signed a loan agreement for $423 million which will help pay for the construction Cameroon's ultramodern deep seaport in the Atlantic coast town of Kribi.

Details of the terms of the Eximbank loan, which is equivalent to 207,270 billion CFA Francs, haven't yet been released.

The seaport, which is budgeted to cost some XAF500 billion, is crucial for the shipment of Cameroon's iron ore, alumina and other minerals produced by companies such as Rio Tinto Alcan, operated Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) and Australia's Sundance Resources Ltd. (SDL.AU) and Cameroon Alumina Ltd., a joint venture of United Arab Emirates aluminum smelter, Dubai Aluminium Co., Hindalco Industries Ltd. (500440.BY), and U.S.-based Hydromine Inc.

The port will also handle commodities for Cameroon and its landlocked neighbors Chad and the Central African Republic that depend on Cameroon for exports and imports of their goods.

The accord was signed by Eximbank president Li Ruogu and by Cameroon's Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development Louis Paul Motaze.

The deal signing preceded the visit of Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu, who flew into Yaounde Wednesday to seal economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Hui will meet with Cameroon's President Paul Biya Thursday, after visiting some Chinese-sponsored projects in the African nation.

-By Emmanuel Tumanjong, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]