• Cameroon’s wood export revenues fell by $32M in Q1 2025, INS reports

• Finished and sawn wood segments saw steepest declines due to lower volumes

• Sector pressured by rising export taxes; log duty rose from 17.5% to 75%

Cameroon recorded a notable decline in the total value of its wood exports, both raw and processed, during the first quarter of 2025. Total export revenue fell by 20 billion XAF (about $32 million) compared to the same period in 2024, according to the latest foreign trade report from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

The steepest drop occurred in the finished wood products segment, which generated only 44 billion XAF between January and March 2025, down from 54 billion XAF the previous year. Similarly, revenue from sawn wood fell by 8 billion XAF, from about 39 billion XAF in the first quarter of 2024 to 31 billion XAF in 2025. Raw timber (log) exports declined by 1 billion XAF. Across all categories, the drop in export volumes was cited as the main factor behind the fall in revenue.

The export downturn comes amid rising fiscal pressure on the sector. Revenue from wood veneer sheets also declined, totaling just 3 billion XAF in the first quarter of 2025, despite export volumes remaining stable at 11,000 tons year-on-year, according to INS data.

Pinpointing the causes of the underperformance is complex, but it coincides with a period of rising export taxes. Between 2017 and 2024, the export duty on raw logs rose from 17.5% to 75% of the Free On Board (FOB) value of the wood species concerned. Successive increases introduced through finance laws amount to a cumulative tax hike of more than 350% over seven years.

The higher taxes also affect primary processed products such as sawn timber. The Cameroon Wood Sector Group (GFBC) estimates that the export duty applicable to this category increased by 165% between 2016 and 2023, though the exact value impact remains unclear.

The INS noted that more than 80% of domestic wood consumption in Cameroon is supplied by informal operators, making it difficult to obtain reliable data on the formal processed wood market.

Despite the overall sector slump, there is potential for a slight rebound in the second quarter of 2025. While Cameroon’s overall export revenues fell by 23.3% in the second quarter of 2025 compared with 2024, the INS noted that higher exports of certain products, such as sawn wood, helped soften the broader downturn.

Brice R. Mbodiam, Business in Cameroon