🇬🇦GabonCentral Africa
Gabon's timber industry faces 23.7% annual decline in 2025 due to Chinese crisis and competition
via Gabon Review4 min read
Gabon's timber industry experienced a significant contraction in 2025, with activity declining by 6% in the fourth quarter and an annual drop of 23.7%. This downturn is primarily attributed to an unfavorable international environment, including the Chinese real estate crisis, which has reduced market share for Gabonese timber. Additionally, increased competition from Brazilian pine, offered at half the price of Okoumé, has diverted demand. Structural and cyclical factors such as weak global demand, intensified competition from other tropical wood species, and operational constraints from unstable energy supply have also impacted production cycles. While the sawing segment saw a slight quarterly improvement of 1.5% due to increased orders and better stock management, its annual production still fell by 28.3%. Conversely, the veneer and plywood segments continued their decline in the fourth quarter. Veneer production decreased by 11.6% due to insufficient log supply, weak demand, and power outages. Plywood production also dropped by 3.4% due to low demand and electricity cuts, despite an annual increase of 2.9%.
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