(Business in Cameroon) - In 2018, Cameroon was the first wood supplier to the European Union (EU), the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) informed.

Over the period, the central African country collected a total of €252 million, or XAF165.3 billion from shipments towards the region, an improvement by 25% compared to 2017.

Cameroonian exports, dominated by sawn wood, achieved the highest increase for tropical wood exports to EU in 2018. Congolese exports grew 12% to €79 million (XAF51.8 billion) but Malaysian (€519 million, over XAF340 billion), Gabonese (about XAF107 billion) and Thai exports fell respectively by 5%, 5% and 13% over the period reviewed.

During the first nine months last year, Cameroonian exports to EU reached 186,500 tons; a performance thanks to higher shipments (25% in late August) towards Germany, ITTO said. In the same time, exports to Italy jumped 30% while those to Belgium slightly grew by 5%. Another big importer of Cameroonian wood is the Netherlands which uses it for civil works, according to Eric de Munck, MD of the Netherlands’ wood center (Centrum Hout).

Brice R. Mbodiam