Cameroon
Last updated: 06 March 2020
Profile
Profile
Forestry and legality
| Source | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Sub-Saharan Africa | (2019) | UNSD | |
| FLEGT status | VPA implementing | (2019) | FLEGT Facility | |
| Forest area | 18.8 | million ha | (2015) | FAO |
| Deforestation rate | 0.22 | million ha/year | (2010-2015) | FAO |
| Planted area | 0.036 | million ha | (2015) | FAO |
| Tree cover loss | 1.2 | million ha | (2001-2018) | Global Forest Watch |
| Tree cover loss (%) | 3.8 | % | (2001-2018) | Global Forest Watch |
| Tree cover gain | 65.1 | kha | (2001-2012) | Global Forest Watch |
| FSC certified area | 341,708 | ha | (December 2019) | FSC |
| PEFC certified area | 0 | ha | (December 2019) | PEFC |
| Double certified area (FSC & PEFC) | 0 | ha | (Mid-2019) | FSC & PEFC |
VPA status of Cameroon
Cameroon started VPA negotiations in 2007, signed the agreement in 2010 and ratification followed in 2011. However, the pace of VPA implementation has been slow in recent years.
In January 2019 the Joint Annual Report (JAR) for 2017 on the VPA’s development was released.
In May 2019, both parties to the VPA agreed to stop implementation of the SIGIF2 software, which was supposed to underpin the Legality Assurance System, and launch a new initiative as a part of the Programme d’amélioration de la gouvernance en milieu forestier (PAMFOR) programme. Revision of the legality definition is also underway.
The Ministry of Forest and Wildlife has issued 18 certificates of legality to 16 timber processing unit operators and published a document explaining the system for collating certification documentation.
Information about legal compliance with VPA legality requirements by logging companies can now also be accessed online through the Open Timber Portal (OTP) platform.
Forest resources in Cameroon
Cameroon’s forests are mainly tropical rainforests of two predominant types: lowland evergreen (54% of total forest area) and lowland semi-deciduous (28%) which are rich in commercial species of Meliaceae such as Entandrophragma cylindricum (sapelli) and E. utile (sipo).
Between 2010 and 2015, the annual rate of deforestation in Cameroon remained constant but high (1.02%, 220,000 hectares per year) the same rate as the previous decade.
The main direct and indirect causes of deforestation and forest degradation are: the development of agricultural activities – both slash-and-burn subsistence agriculture and cash crops (e.g. cocoa); the illegal exploitation of timber outside the PFE; the exploitation of fuelwood, particularly around major urban centres; and the development of the mining sector (bauxite, cobalt).
According to CIFOR, the allocated area in forestry concessions in Cameroon rose from 5.8 million hectares in 2012 to 6.3 million hectares in 2016. During this same period, the number of forest concessions rose from 82 to 91.
Industry
Industry
Economic and industrial status
| Source | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | 38.5 | billion USD | (2018) | World Bank |
| Population | 25.2 | million | (2018) | World Bank |
| Income group | Lower middle income | (2019) | World Bank | |
| Ease of Doing Business (EDB) Rank | 167 | / 190 | (2019) | World Bank |
| Global Competitiveness Index Rank | 123 | / 141 | (2019) | World Economic Forum |
| Liner Shipping Connectivity Index | 16.3 | (maximum value in 2004 = 100) | (2019) | World Bank |
Timber industry competitiveness of Cameroon
Drawing on Cameroon government sources, CIFOR notes that Cameroon is host to around 120 authorised and active forest enterprises and 199 timber processing units, the latter divided among the first (71), second (75) and third (53) degree of processing capacity.
Although Cameroon probably has the largest timber industry capacity in tropical Africa, the country suffers from low competitiveness across a range of indices which has restricted opportunities to develop exports of processed wood products.
Cameroon slipped from 114th to 121st rank in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index between 2015 and 2018. In 2018, Cameroon was ranked 166th on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, down from 163rd the previous year.
Compared to other exporting countries in Africa, Cameroon is comparatively well connected, ranking 64th on the Connectivity Index. As a result, Cameroon has traditionally played an important role as a hub for exports of timber from neighbouring countries.
However, since 2016, exports out of Douala port in Cameroon, the principal transport hub for the wider Congo region, have become extremely erratic due to reliance on old and unreliable equipment, management problems, and silting up of access channels which means that larger, deep-draft vessels can’t dock.
Some shippers are exploring the possibility of using the new, Chinese-funded, deep-water port at Kribi in Cameroon, but this also has teething problems.
Other problems include the diminishing commercial availability of tropical hardwood species, and delayed payment of VAT refunds by African governments, partly linked to low oil prices, which created severe financial challenges for operators in the region.
Trade Overview
Trade Overview
Highlights
According to the ITTO Biennial Review, Cameroon log production was around 3.6 million m3 in 2018, a rise from 3.1 million m3 three years before. Cameroon log exports increased from 1.15 million m3 in 2015 to 1.4 million m3 in 2017 but fell back to 1.23 million m3 in 2018.
Cameroon sawnwood production is estimated to be around 1 million m3 per year, although data quality is low. Only very small volumes of plywood, veneer and other processed products are manufactured and exported from the country.
Cameroon’s imports and exports of timber products in the latest 12 months (USD value from January 2019 to December 2019)
NOTE: Mirror data from STIX, drawing on trade data reported by Cameroon’s main trading partners, is used. Read more about the data in ‘Data Sources and Issues’.
Hover over the chart to see the value.
| Imports (110.5 Million USD) | Exports (604.23 Million USD) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Country | Product | Product | Country | Region |
Cameroon’s production, imports, exports and domestic consumption of primary wood products in 2018
(data source: ITTO) Hover over the chart to see the value.
Trend in production, imports, exports and domestic consumption of primary wood products (logs, sawnwood, plywood, and veneer) in Cameroon
(data source: ITTO) 
Imports
Imports
NOTE: Mirror data from STIX, drawing on trade data reported by Cameroon’s main trading partners, is used. Read more about the data in ‘Data Sources and Issues’.
Highlights
Cameroon imported timber and timber products with total value of around US$135 million in 2018, up from US$124 million in 2017.
Around US$65 million of imports in 2018 were from the EU, the majority comprising paper and wood furniture products.
Around US$36 million of import value was from China, of which around US$25 million comprised paper products and most the rest was wood furniture.
Trend in Cameroon’s timber product imports by region (12-month rolling averages)
Cameroon’s top 5 import partners in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Country | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|
| China | 39.62 |
| France | 11.78 |
| Italy | 8.52 |
| Belgium | 7.63 |
| Portugal | 6.71 |
Cameroon’s timber product imports by product group in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Product | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|
| Paper | 85.63 |
| Furniture | 20.96 |
| Wood | 3.63 |
| Pulp | 0.28 |
*Timber products are categorized according to Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) codes: wood (chapter 44), pulp (chapter 47), paper (chapter 48) and furniture (chapter 94)
Cameroon’s timber product imports by product group and region (12-month rolling averages)
*Timber products are categorized according to Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) codes: wood (chapter 44), pulp (chapter 47), paper (chapter 48) and furniture (chapter 94)
Cameroon’s timber product imports from top 5 origin countries by product group (12-month rolling averages)
*Timber products are categorized according to Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) codes: wood (chapter 44), pulp (chapter 47), paper (chapter 48) and furniture (chapter 94)
Total value of Cameroon’s wood product imports from top 5 origin countries in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
(unit: 1000 USD)
| Composite panels | Fuel and charcoal | Joinery | Logs and other raw wood | Other processed wood | Pallets, packaging and barrels | Sawnwood and mouldings | Veneers and plywood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All countries | 87 | 16 | 2,249 | 3 | 484 | 207 | 195 | 390 |
| Rank 1 | Portugal 48 | China 16 | Italy 662 | Belgium 2 | China 142 | United States 98 | Italy 106 | China 373 |
| Rank 2 | China 39 | China 568 | Spain 1 | France 105 | Belgium 56 | France 37 | France 9 | |
| Rank 3 | Portugal 497 | Canada 70 | United Kingdom 23 | United States 37 | Belgium 5 | |||
| Rank 4 | Belgium 268 | Italy 66 | Italy 13 | Germany 14 | Spain 3 | |||
| Rank 5 | Republic of Korea 156 | Belgium 55 | France 8 | Czechia 1 |
*Wood products are products under Chapter 44 of Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS).
Exports
Exports
NOTE: Mirror data from STIX, drawing on trade data reported by Cameroon’s main trading partners, is used. Read more about the data in ‘Data Sources and Issues’.
Highlights
After a dip in 2017, total export value of timber products from Cameroon increased by 22% to US$690 million in 2018, driven mainly by rising trade in logs destined for Viet Nam and China.
According to data compiled by Forest Trends, Viet Nam’s imports of logs from Cameroon exceeded 500,000 m3 in both 2017 and 2018, up from 300,000 m3 in 2015. The value of Viet Nam log imports from Cameroon was US$216 million in 2018, up from US$134 million in 2015. This made Viet Nam the largest export partner for logs from Cameroon in 2018, exceeding exports to China which were valued at around US$206 million.
In 2018, Viet Nam’s imports of sawnwood from Cameroon were 117,400 m3, a three-fold increase compared to 2015.
The EU’s overall share in Cameroon’s international timber sales has declined in recent years, from more than 80% in 2004 and 2005 to 31% in 2018. At the same time China and Viet Nam have expanded share, respectively accounting for 34% and 27% of export value in 2018.
Total value of Cameroon’s exports of timber products in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Total export: | 604.23 Million USD |
| Total export to EU: | 299.69 Million USD |
| Total export to other regulated countries (Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Republic of Korea, United States of America, and Viet Nam): | 12.3 Million USD |
Trend in Cameroon’s timber product exports by region (12-month rolling averages)
Cameroon’s top 5 export partners in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Country | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|
| China | 243.28 |
| Belgium | 106.93 |
| Italy | 58.12 |
| United States | 35.72 |
| France | 27.32 |
Trend in Cameroon’s timber product exports to EU and other regulated countries (12-month rolling averages)
*Other regulated countries include Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Republic of Korea, United States of America, and Viet Nam
Total value of Cameroon’s exports by timber product group in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Product | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|
| Wood | 603.81 |
| Furniture | 0.25 |
| Paper | 0.17 |
*Timber products are categorized according to Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) codes: wood (chapter 44), pulp (chapter 47), paper (chapter 48) and furniture (chapter 94)
Trend in Cameroon’s exports by timber product group and region (12-month rolling averages)
*Timber products are categorized according to Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) codes: wood (chapter 44), pulp (chapter 47), paper (chapter 48) and furniture (chapter 94)
Trend in Cameroon’s exports to top 5 destination countries by timber product group (12-month rolling averages)
*Timber products are categorized according to Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) codes: wood (chapter 44), pulp (chapter 47), paper (chapter 48) and furniture (chapter 94)
Trend in Cameroon’s timber product exports to regulated (EU and others) and unregulated countries (12-month rolling averages)
*Timber products are categorized according to Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) codes: wood (chapter 44), pulp (chapter 47), paper (chapter 48) and furniture (chapter 94)
Total value of Cameroon’s wood product exports in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
(unit: 1000 USD)
| Composite panels | Joinery | Logs and other raw wood | Other processed wood | Sawnwood and mouldings | Veneers and plywood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All countries | 7 | 587 | 154,341 | 1,071 | 393,649 | 54,157 |
| Rank 1 | Italy 4 | Belgium 344 | China 142,964 | France 571 | Belgium 104,633 | Italy 23,682 |
| Rank 2 | Switzerland 3 | Netherlands 148 | Italy 2,171 | Italy 217 | China 81,627 | China 18,684 |
| Rank 3 | Canada 50 | Taiwan 1,857 | Germany 71 | United States 32,602 | Spain 3,973 | |
| Rank 4 | Greece 42 | Belgium 1,622 | United States 67 | Italy 32,048 | Taiwan 1,487 | |
| Rank 5 | France 2 | United States 1,490 | Belgium 42 | France 24,525 | United States 1,458 |
Trend in Cameroon’s wood product exports to regulated countries (12-month rolling averages)
*Regulated countries include European Union, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Republic of Korea, United States of America, and Viet Nam.
EU Imports
EU Imports
(data source: Eurostat COMEXT)
Highlights
As timber production has declined in West African countries in recent times, and a larger proportion of production from the Congo is now destined for China and Viet Nam, EU buyers have increasingly focused on supply from Cameroon.
This is particularly true of large importers in Belgium which now play a significant role in delivery of tropical hardwoods from Cameroon to other parts of the European continent.
Ayous, sapele and tali represent the largest proportion of Cameroon timber exports to the EU.
In 2018, EU log imports from Cameroon fell by 8% in 2018, to 21,000 m3, following a 29% decline the previous year. However, EU sawnwood imports increased by 5% from Cameroon to 339,000 m3 in 2018 after a very slow year in 2017. EU veneer imports from Cameroon increased by 33% to 42,000 m3 in 2018.
EU respondents to the IMM survey in 2018 forecast that Cameroon would likely be the most important tropical timber supplier for the EU markets in 2025 and were therefore particularly keen for FLEGT-licensed timber to become available in Cameroon.
Trend in EU imports of timber products from Cameroon by product group (12-month rolling averages)
Trend in EU timber product imports from Cameroon to top 5 destination countries (12-month rolling averages)
Trend in timber product imports from Cameroon to top 5 EU countries by product group (12-month rolling averages)
Trend in EU imports of wood products from Cameroon by product group (12-month rolling averages)
Trend in wood product imports from Cameroon to top 5 EU countries by product group (12-month rolling averages)
Total quantity of EU imports of wood product from Cameroon to top 5 destination countries in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
(unit: kg)
| Composite panels | Joinery | Logs and other raw wood | Other processed wood | Pallets, packaging and barrels | Sawnwood and mouldings | Veneers and plywood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All countries | 3,349 | 386,706 | 15,152,203 | 576,134 | 30 | 280,918,462 | 19,302,203 |
| Rank 1 | Italy 3,349 | Belgium 251,596 | Italy 5,881,886 | France 290,086 | Germany 30 | Belgium 121,871,872 | Italy 14,111,326 |
| Rank 2 | Netherlands 110,422 | Belgium 2,991,670 | Italy 251,771 | Italy 33,867,773 | Spain 3,096,981 | ||
| Rank 3 | Greece 24,164 | Portugal 2,664,257 | United Kingdom 15,223 | France 27,960,093 | Greece 709,925 | ||
| Rank 4 | France 524 | France 1,804,604 | Belgium 12,610 | Spain 24,209,724 | France 600,552 | ||
| Rank 5 | United Kingdom 832,356 | Germany 3,959 | Netherlands 23,972,650 | Romania 452,984 |
*Wood products are products under Chapter 44 of Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS).
Data Sources and Issues
Data Sources and Issues
Due to lack of regular data on timber product exports from Cameroon, the statistics shown in this IMM report draw on import data from 44 major timber trading countries in the EU, Asia and America. While these countries include many of Cameroon’s most significant trade partners, a notable omission is Viet Nam which has recently emerged as Cameroon’s single largest trade partner for both logs and sawnwood.
A proportion of the logs shipped out of Douala port is in transit from the Central African Republic and northern parts of Congo Republic.