• Ghana timber exports fall 20% to 217,000 cubic meters
• Revenues drop 21% to 98.38 million euros
• ECOWAS demand rebounds despite global market slowdown

Ghana exported 217,000 cubic meters of wood and wood products in 2025, a 20% decline from the 273,000 cubic meters shipped the previous year, according to data compiled by the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) in a report published Sunday, Feb. 15.

Export revenues also fell 21% year-on-year to 98.38 million euros (approximately $116.3 million). The TIDD described it as the weakest export performance by Ghana's timber industry in six years, both in volume and value.

The report does not detail the reasons behind the underperformance, though several factors may have contributed to the downturn. In a market analysis published in October 2025, the specialized platform GlobalWood said the timber sector in West and Central Africa was ending the year under significant pressure due to internal financial difficulties and a sharp slowdown in international demand. “Global demand remains sluggish: the persistent slowdown in China, competition from Brazilian softwoods and a stagnant European market are jointly limiting export growth for African producers,” GlobalWood said at the time.

A downward trend underway since 2023

After steady growth from 2020, Ghana’s timber industry reached a record 343,000 cubic meters of wood and wood products exported in 2022, valued at 153.88 million euros. Exports began to decline in 2023, falling nearly 15% that year, and the downward trend continued through 2025.

In total, between 2020 and 2025, Ghana shipped approximately 1.66 million cubic meters of wood products for a cumulative value of 763.07 million euros, according to TIDD data. Air-dried sawn wood was the leading export, accounting for roughly 55% of volumes, followed by kiln-dried sawn wood (14%), plywood (11%) and logs (10%). Together, those four product categories represented 89% of total export volume over the period and 83% of revenues.

Teak, wawa/ayous, eucalyptus, cedrela and gmelina were the main species exported, primarily to Asian markets. The TIDD said Asia absorbed 63% of Ghana’s exports in 2025, followed by Europe (17%), Africa (13%), the Americas (4%) and the Middle East (3%).

A rebound in ECOWAS markets

Despite the overall decline in exports in 2025, exports to African markets showed signs of improvement. After falling from 13% of Ghana’s sales in 2020 to 9% in 2024, that share edged back up to 11% in 2025.

According to the TIDD, the rebound was driven mainly by markets within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), where purchases rose 7% in volume to 19,771 cubic meters, led primarily by plywood, which accounted for the bulk of regional shipments. Other products exported to the region included sawn wood, sliced veneer and poles. Togo, Burkina Faso and Gambia were the most active buyers, mainly of plywood.

In this context, President John Dramani Mahama, speaking at the Africa Trade Summit 2026 in Accra, called for deeper regional value chains to reduce African economies’ dependence on external markets and strengthen local industrial competitiveness. For Ghana, the uptick in regional demand offers a positive signal as the forestry sector seeks to revive exports while meeting growing sustainability requirements.

Stéphanas Assocle