(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s wood and wood products generated 3.9% of the country’s export revenue in the first quarter of 2025, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Sawn wood accounted for 2.8%, while logs and veneer combined made up just 1.1%, reflecting a continued fall in earnings from those products.
The decline in log exports is largely linked to sharp tax hikes. Between 2017 and 2024, Cameroon raised the export duty on logs from 17.5% of Free On Board (FOB) value to 75% — a cumulative increase of more than 350% over seven years.
As a result, exporters have shifted to sawn wood, where taxes have also risen but less steeply. The Cameroon Timber Industry Group (GFBC) estimates that duties on sawn wood climbed by 165% between 2016 and 2023.
The government says the tougher fiscal regime is intended to push companies toward higher-value processing. To support the policy, customs duty exemptions on wood-processing equipment have been in place for at least two years.
BRM
