(Business in Cameroon) - Timber export conditions at the port of Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, have been improving since the beginning of the year, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) noted.

However, despite this upturn which is the result of a slowdown in Chinese demand, ITTO said, some timber exporters now ship cargoes through the deep-water port of Kribi, commissioned in March 2018 in the southern region.

In a memo covering the period Feb.1-15, 2019, ITTO revealed that despite the improvement situation at the port of Douala, “exporters of sawn timber and logs to the Central African Republic shipped their cargoes through the port of Kribi”.

“It is logical that part of the traffic from the port of Douala should be redirected to the port of Kribi. This will allow to ease traffic,” Patrice Melom, MD of the autonomous port of Kribi (PAK), said at the end of a seminar held April 19-20, 2018 with players of the timber sector to discuss ways to carry out export activities within the Kribi port platform.

Wood exports at the Kibri port are carried out by Kribi Containers Terminal (KCT), a company controlled by the Franco-Chinese consortium Bolloré-CHEC-CMA CGM in partnership with the Chinese shipowner Cosco.

Brice R. Mbodiam