The export of tropical logs from African countries to China has sharply declined! By 2025, it had dropped by 83.8%.

According to the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) of Ghana, the country's wood product exports totaled 1.66 million cubic meters, with a value of 763 million euros from 2020 to 2025. Among them, the export volume in 2025 hit a new low, reaching only 217,000 cubic meters, with a value of 98.38 million euros. 

Between 2020 and 2022, the export of wood products from Ghana showed a steady growth trend, with the export volume rising from 226,000 cubic meters to 343,000 cubic meters. However, in 2023, its export volume dropped by nearly 15% (about 50,000 cubic meters) year-on-year to 293,000 cubic meters, and continued to decline until the end of 2025. 

Ghana's Export Structure of Wood Products

· Product Categories ·

Air-dried sawn timber is the leading category, accounting for 55%;

Kiln-dried sawn timber accounts for 14%;

Plywood accounts for 11%, including trade with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS);

Sawn timber accounts for 10%;

The four major categories together account for 89% of the total export volume (1.473 million cubic meters) and 83% of the total export value (630 million euros). 

· Timber Species and Flow Direction · 

The main exported tree species include teak, ayous, eucalyptus, mahogany and neem.

The Asian market holds a dominant position, accounting for 63%.

Europe accounts for 17%, Africa for 13%, the Americas for 4% and the Middle East for 3%. 

Analysis of the Reasons for the Decline in Exports

Ghana's wood exports to China have significantly declined, mainly due to a sharp contraction in the export of tropical logs. Data shows that in 2025, Ghana's exports of tropical logs to China were only 0.38 million cubic meters, a year-on-year decrease of 83.8%. During the same period, the unit price of tropical sawnwood rose by 27.7%, while the export volume decreased by approximately 30% year-on-year.

However, the decline in Ghana's wood exports to China is not an isolated case. In 2025, China's wood imports from Africa shrank by 31% year-on-year. Major supplying countries such as Gabon and Cameroon also saw a significant contraction in their exports to China, reflecting structural adjustments in the demand side of the Chinese market.

At the same time, Ghana's wood exports are also facing increasingly severe internal cost pressures. According to feedback from local forestry enterprises, the combined costs of raw materials, logistics, and energy have been rising, continuously eroding export profitability. - 

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