Abstract
The year 2024 saw changes in the relative prices of tropical timber and was marked by a contraction in exports linked to the slowdown in Chinese demand. Indonesian plywood prices fell back slightly throughout the year, but sawnwood prices rose overall. A new trend is emerging for African logs: their prices are falling, while sawnwood prices are tending to rise. This contrasts with the situation in recent years, when prices for African logs were relatively high due to their reduced availability on international markets. However, restrictions on the export of logs by a growing number of countries have led many wood-processing plants in Europe to cease operations or to convert. As a result, demand for logs is falling, while demand for sawn timber and veneer is rising, and prices are adjusting. However, this trend will need to be confirmed in the coming years, as China's demand for tropical logs, although declining over the past decade (5.7 million m3 imported in 2023 compared with 13.2 million in 2014), remains high in the face of rapidly shrinking supply. And Indian demand for logs is set to increase.