Wood in the rough market in Cameroon

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018, Cameroon's wood sector was shaped by strong export flows, particularly of species like Sapelli and Mahogany to Canada, which established the country as a leading tropical wood exporter. This began to change in 2019 when customs authorities launched the FILTTRE operation to tighten controls on export legality, a move that contributed to a decline in log shipments and supported a gradual rise in domestic market volume.

A major policy shift occurred in 2022 with a ban on exporting 76 species of wood in log form, aimed explicitly at boosting local processing. This was coupled with high export surtaxes and duty exemptions for importing wood-processing machinery. As a direct result, log exports fell sharply, freeing up significant raw material for the domestic market and driving a notable increase in market volume through 2023. The government continued this strategy into 2023, planning to raise log export duties to 60% to further discourage unprocessed exports.

The push for domestic value addition was supported by digital tools like the Domestic Wood Market (Mib) application, launched in 2021 to facilitate trade, and a 2024 reform to classify forest species for more sustainable management. These measures collectively redirected the industry's focus from raw log exports to supplying the growing internal market.

Production wood in the rough in Cameroon

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of wood in the rough, 2017-2020

World map of production of wood in the rough, 2017-2020

Cameroon's production of wood in the rough has declined for the second year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 9,061 thousand tons, marking a slight decrease of 1.2% compared to the previous year. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, production fell by 2.7%, which translates to an average annual decline of 0.9%. The highest production level was recorded in 2018 at 9,362 thousand tons. The most significant drop occurred in 2019 with a 2.0% decrease, while the largest increase was seen in 2018 at 0.5%.

Annual dynamics of production in Cameroon in kind, 2017-2020, K t

In value, 2017-2020, M $ US

The value of wood in the rough production in Cameroon has also decreased for two consecutive years. In 2020, output was valued at 1,591 million US dollars, reflecting a moderate decline of 3.4% year-over-year. From 2017 to 2020, production value dropped by 15.4%, equivalent to an annualized rate of 5.4%. The peak value was reached in 2018 at 1,945 million US dollars. The sharpest decline took place in 2019 with a 15.3% decrease, whereas the largest increase was recorded in 2018 at 3.4%.

Annual dynamics of production in Cameroon in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Exports wood in the rough from Cameroon

Exports in kind, K t

Cameroon's exports of wood in the rough have fallen for the second year in a row. In 2020, exports totaled 743 thousand tons, down by 8.9% from the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, exports decreased by 23.6%, with an average annual decline of 8.6%. The highest export volume was in 2018 at 1,051 thousand tons. The most substantial drop occurred in 2019 with a 22.4% decrease, while the largest increase was in 2018 at 8.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Cameroon in kind, 2017-2020, K t

From 2017 to 2020, China and Vietnam dominated Cameroon's exports of wood in the rough in volume terms, together accounting for 89.3% of total flows. Other countries held much smaller shares.

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

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

Exports in value, M $ US

The value of Cameroon's wood in the rough exports has declined for two consecutive years. In 2020, export value amounted to 130.4 million US dollars, representing a significant drop of 10.9% compared to the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, export value fell by 33.6%, with an average annual decrease of 12.7%. The peak was in 2018 at 218.3 million US dollars. The largest decline was in 2019 with a 32.9% decrease, and the biggest increase was in 2018 at 11.2%.

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

During 2017-2020, China and Vietnam remained the primary buyers of wood in the rough from Cameroon in value terms, jointly holding 89.9% of total exports. The remaining share was fragmented among other countries.

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

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

Imports wood in the rough to Cameroon

Imports in kind, K t

Import volumes of wood in the rough to Cameroon showed high volatility over these years. The lowest point was in 2018 at 0.0 thousand tons, while the peak was in 2017, resulting in a 60-fold difference between these two years. In 2020, imports reached 1 thousand ton, a dramatic increase of 2,880.5% year-over-year. The largest decline occurred in 2018 with a 98.3% drop.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Cameroon in kind, 2017-2020, K t

From 2017 to 2020, imports of wood in the rough to Cameroon in volume terms were almost entirely concentrated in South Africa, which accounted for 94.3% of the total.

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

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

Imports in value, M $ US

Import values for wood in the rough to Cameroon exhibited irregular changes, indicating a volatile market. The lowest value was recorded in 2019 at 0.0 million US dollars, and the highest in 2017, with a 992-fold difference between these years. In 2020, imports amounted to 0.7 million US dollars, a sharp increase of 70,196.0% compared to the previous year. The largest decline was in 2018 with a 99.8% decrease.

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

In the 2017-2020 period, South Africa effectively dominated imports of wood in the rough to Cameroon in value terms, holding a 99.3% share of total flows.

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

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