Views: 227 Author: Li Publish Time: 2026-02-04 Origin: Site
Recently, three key incidents have occurred in the African timber trade sector: Moldova's sanctions on Gabonese woodworking equipment, the prominent effect of Gabon's increased timber export tax, and international attention on illegal logging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The superposition of multiple factors has caused shocks to the global African timber industry chain, with the market pattern ushering in a new round of adjustments.
On January 27, Moldova imposed a 35% punitive tariff on 5 core Gabonese timber processing enterprises and banned their related equipment from international exhibitions, on the grounds that "Gabonese woodworking equipment exported to Moldova infringes patents and fails to meet EU CE certification". The sanctioned equipment accounts for 84% of Gabon's equipment exports to Moldova, directly leading to the suspension of 2 Gabonese plywood factories and a 23% single-day surge in the procurement price of high-end furniture raw materials in Europe. Gabon immediately countered by suspending imports of Moldovan wood moisture testing instruments and reducing its equipment export quota to Moldova by 55%, exposing Gabon's dependence on imported high-end equipment in its timber industry.
On January 29, the effect of Gabon's increased timber export tax became apparent, with China's imports showing a "volume decline and price increase" trend. Gabon raised its timber export tax from 8.6% to 12.5% on January 1, 2026, with the tax rate for primary processed products increased to 15%. Data shows that China's timber imports from Gabon decreased by 23% year-on-year, while the average export price of timber continued to rise year-on-year, with a 25% increase in December 2025, and Chinese purchasers may turn to alternative producing areas such as Cameroon.
On the same day, the issue of illegal logging in the DRC attracted international attention. An environmental organization report questioned its large-scale illegal concession logging, pointing out that the 500 million US dollar forest protection agreement signed by the former British Prime Minister may be at risk of fund waste. The country's industrial logging suspension order will be lifted at the end of the year; if illegal logging is not curbed, it may affect the international market access of its timber.
In summary, the current African timber trade is facing multiple challenges, while spawning new industry trends: the acceleration of supply chain restructuring, with Chinese purchasers possibly turning to alternative producing areas; countries such as Gabon promoting the industrial transformation to deep processing, with the proportion of deep-processed products expected to increase significantly in 2026; sustainable development has become the core competitiveness, and certifications such as FSC have become a necessary condition for timber to enter the international market.
Industry experts said that enterprises need to closely monitor producing area policies and adapt to international compliance standards to seize market opportunities. SHD WOOD (HONG KONG SENHEDA WOOD LIMITED), deeply engaged in African timber international trade, relies on professional supply chains and compliance concepts to provide global partners with stable and high-quality African timber supply services.
Li
WhatsApp：8619864685015
Website：https://www.shdtimber.com/
