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Compared to previous years, the global timber market has performed poorly in recent years. For countries that import wood through international trade, the cost of importing wood through international trade continues to rise in a sluggish market; At the same time, weak demand has put pressure on timber sales prices. For wood supply countries, increased production costs and reduced demand have led to inventory backlog

As for the situation in China, due to the impact of the Spring Festival holiday and a decrease in order demand, the total import volume of wood in international trade in the first quarter decreased by 3.1% to 15.8 million cubic meters. With the arrival of the second quarter and feedback from African timber market players, orders from China have recently recovered.

According to reports from African timber merchants, with the signing of new contracts, August is returning to the Chinese market. Previously, there was a backlog of inventory in Augustan producing areas such as Gabon and Cameroon. In the context of slowing demand in the Chinese market, high fuel costs, and a shortage of containers, most African timber, including Augustan, could not be shipped to China.

In addition, the demand for ebony and zebra in the Chinese market remains stable. At present, the domestic market value of Ebony is maintained at 12500-13000 yuan/m3; The market value of Cameroon zebra is 5800-6000 yuan/m3; The market price of Gabonese zebras is maintained at 6800-6900 yuan/cubic meter.

The demand from the Middle East market remains stable, while EU international trade importers are still striving to meet the requirements of the EU Wood Regulations (EUTR) while importing African timber. But as the introduction process of the new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is about to be completed, the EUTR will be abolished.

Once the new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is implemented, wood products that have not been proven to be "non deforestation" or "non forest degradation" will be prohibited from entering the EU market. It is expected that African timber producing countries will focus on sustainable forest management in the future.

As the seasons change, places such as Gabon and Congo enter the rainy season, with almost daily heavy rain. Due to the impact of rainwater, the process of forest logging and transportation activities has slowed down, resulting in a decrease in wood productivity. In addition, in addition to the impact of the rainy season on transportation, Gabon is experiencing fuel shortages and train derailments, which have affected its timber transportation.

Even though Cameroon and the Central African Republic are in the dry season and transportation is not affected by the weather, fuel shortages and high prices are affecting the entire African continent. At the same time, some African transportation companies are also reducing personnel and expenses. In addition, due to poor maintenance of road maintenance in Gabon and other places, it is estimated that the arrival time of timber at ports in China will be delayed.

The fuel issue in Africa has been unresolved for several months, and the transportation and timber industries have issued calls to local governments to review fuel allocation. Until fuel prices in Africa were lowered, transportation remained one of the key factors affecting African timber prices.

At present, the price of Augustan on the market remains stable. With the recovery of demand for Augustan in the domestic market, it is expected to drive changes in Augustan prices in the future.