Since this year started, Chinese importers are reticent to buy wood from Cameroon. This is revealed by a sectoral report published by the international tropical timber association.

According to the association, this reticence is due to the increase in the price of wood. This follows the decision of Cameroon’s authorities, in 2018 finance law, to increase the tax on the export of sawn wood. With the increase of their exports’ duties (between 2016 and 2018, the duties on exports of sawn wood has increased from 17.5% to 30%), the local timber growers also increased their prices. What Chinese importers are not pleased with.

The increase of export duties could have a boomerang effect if the Chinese continue to ignore Cameroon’s woods. 

Indeed, according to forêt et communauté, a group of NGOs involved in forest management, China has become the first destination for Cameroon’s wood (wood being the first non-oil product exported). This is because exporters have decided to ship to China to avoid APV-FLEGT restrictions. This restriction is a rigorous measure to ensure that wood and its derived products exported to the European Union are legal.

(Source:businessincameroon.com)