Non coniferous sawnwood market in Western Africa

Earlier Report Observations

The market volume for non-coniferous sawnwood in West Africa increased from 3 910 thousand m³ in 2018 to 4 197 thousand m³ in 2020.

A sharp reversal occurred in 2021, with the market falling to 3 412 thousand m³, and the decline continued over the following two years, reaching 2 911 thousand m³ in 2023.

The downturn in 2023 was driven by weakened international demand for key timber species from Asia and the Middle East, coupled with intensified regulatory controls that pressured sawmills to reduce operations. By 2024, further challenges emerged, including Benin's ban on timber exports to promote local processing and Ghana's six-year low in wood shipments, reflecting persistent sluggish global demand and competitive pressures from producers in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Production non coniferous sawnwood in Western Africa

In kind, 2017-2020, K m³

Top producers of non coniferous sawnwood, 2017-2020

World map of production of non coniferous sawnwood, 2017-2020

Western Africa's production of non-coniferous sawnwood grew for the third year in a row. In 2020, the region produced 4 344 K m³, marking a modest 2.9% increase from the previous year. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, production rose by 8.8%, with an average annual growth rate of 2.8%.

Annual dynamics of production in Western Africa in kind, 2017-2020, K m³

Exports non coniferous sawnwood from Western Africa

Exports in kind, K m³

In 2020, Western Africa exported 244.5 K m³ of non-coniferous sawnwood, a significant 55.9% jump compared to the year before. Over the broader 2017-2020 timeframe, exports surged by 78.2%, translating to an annualized growth rate of 21.2%. The only decline during this period occurred in 2019, when exports dipped by 1.0%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Western Africa in kind, 2017-2020, K m³

From 2017 to 2020, Western Africa's export destinations for non-coniferous sawnwood were highly diverse. The top three markets—China (17.6% of exports by volume), India (12.9%), and Vietnam (11.4%)—collectively accounted for just 41.9% of total exports. The remaining 58.1% was spread across a wide range of smaller markets.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Western Africa in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, M $ US

Western Africa's non-coniferous sawnwood exports reached 141.5 million US dollars in 2020, up 9.4% year-on-year. However, over the 2017-2020 period, export value actually declined by 4.2%, averaging a 1.4% annual decrease. The lowest value was recorded in 2019 at 129.3 million US dollars, while the peak came in 2018 at 195.1 million US dollars. The sharpest drop occurred in 2019 with a 33.7% fall, whereas the largest increase was in 2018 with a 32.1% rise.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Western Africa in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, India (17.9% of export value), China (17.4%), and Vietnam (8.7%) were the leading buyers of non-coniferous sawnwood from Western Africa, but they did not dominate the market. Together, these three countries accounted for 43.9% of total export value, with the rest distributed among numerous smaller trading partners.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Western Africa in value, 2017-2020

Imports non coniferous sawnwood to Western Africa

Imports in kind, K m³

Western Africa's imports of non-coniferous sawnwood increased for the second consecutive year. In 2020, the region imported 77.5 K m³, representing a 26.8% uptick from the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 span, imports grew by 59.2%, with an average annual growth rate of 16.8%. The lowest import volume was in 2018 at 61.0 K m³, which also saw a slight decline of 0.4%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Western Africa in kind, 2017-2020, K m³

The import sources for non-coniferous sawnwood in Western Africa were highly diversified from 2017 to 2020. The top three suppliers—Cameroon (29.1% of imports by volume), France (1.8%), and Portugal (1.7%)—made up only 32.6% of total imports. The majority, 67.4%, came from a long list of smaller markets.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Western Africa in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, M $ US

After rising for two years, Western Africa's import value for non-coniferous sawnwood fell in 2020 to 43.9 million US dollars, down 19.8% compared to the previous year. Despite this drop, imports over the 2017-2020 period increased by 9.6%, averaging 3.1% annual growth. The highest value was recorded in 2019 at 54.7 million US dollars, which also saw the largest increase of 26.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Western Africa in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

From 2017 to 2020, the import structure by value was diversified, with Cameroon (39.9% of import value), France (3.1%), and Portugal (2.1%) together accounting for just 45.0% of total imports. No single country held a clearly dominant position in the market.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Western Africa in value, 2017-2020