According to the Statistics and Research Division of the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD), Ghana’s timber shipments reached 23,350 cubic meters in the first quarter of 2022. Of this, 64% went to Asia, 17% to Europe and 10% to Africa.
This volume has increased by 22% compared to the same period last year, and the Ghanaian authorities are pleased to see that this export has increased local revenue by $11 million.
In Ghana, about 33,394 cubic meters of sawn timber are exported to the global market, which is the main export forest product category; for other wood exports, about 13,693 m³ of logs and 9,725 m³ of dried timber are exported.
In addition, 4,632 cubic meters of plywood were shipped to the global market. According to data provided by TIDD, these exported plywood products account for 90% of Ghana's wood products exports.
The main destination countries for these different types of wood are India, the United States, Belgium, Germany and Italy. Prices for these exports also rose during the quarter – the average export price rose from 492 euros per cubic metre to 531 euros per cubic metre, an increase of 8%.
"With the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Ghana's timber exports will expand further," said Ama Dokua Asiamah Adjei, Ghana's Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry.
"This opening is expected to increase Ghana's timber exports by 50 percent in 2022," she said.
