Central African Republic
Last updated: 07 March 2020
Profile
Profile
Forestry and legality
| Source | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Sub-Saharan Africa | (2019) | UNSD | |
| FLEGT status | VPA implementing | (2019) | FLEGT Facility | |
| Forest area | 22.2 | million ha | (2015) | FAO |
| Deforestation rate | 0.02 | million ha/year | (2010-2015) | FAO |
| Planted area | 0.002 | million ha | (2015) | FAO |
| Tree cover loss | 739 | kha | (2001-2018) | Global Forest Watch |
| Tree cover loss (%) | 1.6 | % | (2001-2018) | Global Forest Watch |
| Tree cover gain | 39.3 | kha | (2001-2012) | Global Forest Watch |
| FSC certified area | 0 | 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 Central African Republic
VPA implementation in the Central African Republic regained some momentum in 2015 and 2016 after democratic elections restored some stability.
The CAR government concluded an accord with 14 armed groups in February 2019, leading to a peace agreement and appointment of a new ‘inclusive government’ on 24 March 2019. However, the security situation remains precarious.
In February 2019, the 2017 joint EU-CAR Annual Report on VPA implementation was released. Among developments highlighted were:
- sanctions for mandated independent observation of forest law enforcement;
- further support for the WWF’s private sector VPA capacity-building project;
- reinstatement of the Mobile Inspection Brigade, which controls forest, wildlife and fishing activity;
- launch of a collaborative database within the VPA Permanent Technical Secretariat (STP) to monitor timber transport from the forest and tax payment; and
- missions by FAO-EU FLEGT Programme consultants to support the STP in developing a VPA information website and timber monitoring database.
- sanctions for mandated independent observation of forest law enforcement;
Forest resources in Central African Republic
The latest FAO data shows that the Central African Republic’s forest area was 22.17 million hectares in 2015, 78,000 hectares (0.4%) less than in 2010.
Deforestation and forest degradation are mainly caused by expansion of subsistence and cash crop agriculture, which particularly affects gallery forests along waterways, and savannah wildfires largely induced by people. Another reason is wood-gathering around human settlements and mining (for gold, diamonds, and uranium).
Large areas of forest in the country comprise savannah type woodland and the area of forest suitable for commercial timber extraction is much smaller. The EU FLEGT Facility, for example, estimates national forest area at just 5.4 million hectares.
The closed semi-deciduous forests in the southwest of the country are among the richest in Africa, containing a high density of high-value timber species such as Terminalia superba (limba), Entandrophragma cylindricum (sapelli) and Triplochiton scleroxylon (ayous) and significant areas are still largely unexploited.
Industry
Industry
Economic and industrial status
| Source | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | 2.4 | billion USD | (2018) | World Bank |
| Population | 4.7 | million | (2018) | World Bank |
| Income group | Low income | (2019) | World Bank | |
| Ease of Doing Business (EDB) Rank | 184 | / 190 | (2019) | World Bank |
| Global Competitiveness Index Rank | unavailable | / 141 | (2019) | World Economic Forum |
| Liner Shipping Connectivity Index | unavailable | (maximum value in 2004 = 100) | (2019) | World Bank |
Timber industry competitiveness of Central African Republic
Since the mid-1990s, the Central African Republic has attempted to impose minimum requirements for processing of timber prior to export but with limited success owing to the challenges of encouraging investment in processing facilities.
According to national law, 70% of the log harvest should be processed in the country. However, the volume processed as a percentage of the total volume produced has fallen significantly, from approximately 49% in 2001 to less than 20% in 2018.
The country is either not rated at all or ranked very low on international competitiveness indices. In 2019, it was ranked 183rd out of 190 countries on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index.
In 2018, FAO and CIFOR published a joint report on the state of the forest sector in Central African Republic in 2016 which indicated there were 11 logging companies, with an average annual production of close to 400,000 m3 at that time. This study suggests sawnwood production of only 33,000 m3 in 2016.
According to the FAO-CIFOR study, close to 30 species are processed in the country, but Sapelli (Entandrophragma cylindricum), Ayous, Dibétou (Lovoa trichilioides) and Kossipo (Entandrophragma candollei), account for more than half of the total volume, and one company alone, SEFCA does more than half the processing.
Trade Overview
Trade Overview
Highlights
According to the ITTO Biennial Review, Central African Republic log production was 727,000 m3 in 2018, a rise from 627,000 m3 in 2017 and from only 548,000 m3 in 2014. Log exports, which were only 114,000 m3 in 2014, had risen to 418,000 m3 in 2018.
Sawnwood production was estimated by ITTO to be only 50,000 m3 in 2018 and largely unchanged in the previous 3 years (this compares to 33,000 m3 in 2016 estimated by FAO/CIFOR). Sawnwood exports were estimated by ITTO at only 12,000 m3 in 2018, down from 15,000 m3 the previous year.
There is negligible plywood and veneer production in CAR.
Central African Republic’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 Central African Republic’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 (1.49 Million USD) | Exports (48.49 Million USD) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Country | Product | Product | Country | Region |
Central African Republic’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 Central African Republic
(data source: ITTO) 
Imports
Imports
NOTE: Mirror data from STIX, drawing on trade data reported by Central African Republic’s main trading partners, is used. Read more about the data in ‘Data Sources and Issues’.
Highlights
The Central African Republic imported timber products with a total value of only US$2.6 million in 2018, a slight rise from US$2.3 million the previous year.
Imports comprise mainly small volumes of paper products from France and Cote d’Ivoire.
After zero trade in previous years, the US recorded small shipments of pulp and paper products to the Central African Republic in 2017 and 2018.
Trend in Central African Republic’s timber product imports by region (12-month rolling averages)
Central African Republic’s top 5 import partners in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Country | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|
| United States | 0.56 |
| China | 0.35 |
| France | 0.23 |
| Germany | 0.12 |
| Spain | 0.10 |
Central African Republic’s timber product imports by product group in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Product | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|
| Paper | 0.86 |
| Furniture | 0.36 |
| Wood | 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)
Central African Republic’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)
Central African Republic’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 Central African Republic’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 | Joinery | Other processed wood | Pallets, packaging and barrels | Veneers and plywood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All countries | 120 | 26 | 53 | 2 | 78 |
| Rank 1 | China 110 | China 16 | China 53 | Belgium 2 | China 58 |
| Rank 2 | Italy 10 | Germany 7 | Germany 12 | ||
| Rank 3 | Belgium 2 | France 8 | |||
| Rank 4 | Slovenia 1 | ||||
| Rank 5 |
*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 Central African Republic’s main trading partners, is used. Read more about the data in ‘Data Sources and Issues’.
Highlights
Export value of timber products from the Central African Republic increased by 94% to US$72 million in 2018 driven mainly by rising trade in logs destined for China. In both 2017 and 2018, China accounted for around 72% of all timber export value from the Central African Republic, up from around 62% in 2015 and 2016.
The EU accounted for around 19% of timber product export value from the Central African Republic in 2018, down from around 22% in 2017 and over 30% in 2015 and 2016.
Total value of Central African Republic’s exports of timber products in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Total export: | 48.49 Million USD |
| Total export to EU: | 10.9 Million USD |
| Total export to other regulated countries (Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Republic of Korea, United States of America, and Viet Nam): | 1.83 Million USD |
Trend in Central African Republic’s timber product exports by region (12-month rolling averages)
Central African Republic’s top 5 export partners in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Country | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|
| China | 33.89 |
| France | 4.93 |
| Portugal | 1.96 |
| Belgium | 1.67 |
| Italy | 1.49 |
Trend in Central African Republic’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 Central African Republic’s exports by timber product group in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
| Product | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|
| Wood | 48.49 |
| Paper | 0.00 |
*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 Central African Republic’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 Central African Republic’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 Central African Republic’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 Central African Republic’s wood product exports in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
(unit: 1000 USD)
| Logs and other raw wood | Sawnwood and mouldings | Veneers and plywood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All countries | 38,028 | 10,457 | 4 |
| Rank 1 | China 27,932 | China 5,956 | Canada 4 |
| Rank 2 | France 4,470 | United States 1,093 | |
| Rank 3 | Portugal 1,904 | Japan 929 | |
| Rank 4 | Belgium 963 | Belgium 703 | |
| Rank 5 | Italy 935 | Italy 553 |
Trend in Central African Republic’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
There was a significant increase in EU log imports from CAR in 2018, up 76% to 24,000 m3 following a 40% decline the previous year.
Imports of CAR logs into all three leading EU destinations - France, Portugal and Belgium – increased in 2018. Imports by Italy and Spain were stable.
Total EU imports of sawnwood from CAR were less than 1,500 m3 in 2018, down from 1,900 m3 in 2017 and over 5000 m3 in 2016.
Trend in EU imports of timber products from Central African Republic by product group (12-month rolling averages)
Trend in EU timber product imports from Central African Republic to top 5 destination countries (12-month rolling averages)
Trend in timber product imports from Central African Republic to top 5 EU countries by product group (12-month rolling averages)
Trend in EU imports of wood products from Central African Republic by product group (12-month rolling averages)
Trend in wood product imports from Central African Republic to top 5 EU countries by product group (12-month rolling averages)
Total quantity of EU imports of wood product from Central African Republic to top 5 destination countries in the latest 12 months (from January 2019 to December 2019)
(unit: kg)
| Logs and other raw wood | Sawnwood and mouldings | |
|---|---|---|
| All countries | 16,265,860 | 2,054,849 |
| Rank 1 | France 8,131,110 | Belgium 728,241 |
| Rank 2 | Portugal 3,763,829 | Italy 564,606 |
| Rank 3 | Italy 1,813,641 | France 456,753 |
| Rank 4 | Belgium 1,810,897 | Spain 168,158 |
| Rank 5 | Spain 580,198 | Portugal 60,598 |
*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 the Central African Republic, the statistics shown in this IMM report draw on trade data from 44 major timber trading countries in the EU, Asia and America. While these countries include many of Central African Republic’s most significant trade partners, there are data gaps, notably relating to overland trade flows with neighbouring countries in Africa.