Ghana’s third quarter export permits take slight fall enero 19, 2009
According to data provided by the Timber Industry
Development Division (TIDD) of the Forestry
Commission (FC), 2,196 export permits were vetted,
processed, approved and issued to exporters during the
third quarter of 2008 to cover shipment of various timber
and wood products through the ports of Takoradi and
Tema as well as for overland exports to neighboring
countries.
Compared to the number of export permits issued in the
second quarter of 2008, which totaled 2,319, third quarter
results fell 5.30%. This decrease could be attributed to the
slump in trade due to the summer holidays in the European
Union and North America, which are Ghana’s two main
markets.
Lumber kiln-dried (KD) and air-dried (AD) consisted of
45.49% of contracts, registering the highest number of
export permit applications for the period under review,
resulting from higher demand for these products than for
tertiary wood products such as furniture parts, moldings,
floorings, dowels, broomsticks and profile boards.
Substantial decreases in the number of permits were issued
in the third quarter for the export of blockboard, layons,
floorings, dowels, moldings, boules, sliced veneer and
rotary veneer. Nonetheless, there were significant
increases in the number of permits issued during the same
period for the export of teak billets/poles/logs. This
increase may be attributed to heightened demand for this
product by India and Hong Kong.
Three hundred and thirty eight export permits, with a total
volume of 32,937m³ and valued at EUR10.30 million,
were issued to a number of timber companies for overland
export of lumber, plywood and/or blockboard by road to
Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Benin and Togo.
Third quarter 2008 market prices and trends hold
stable
There were no major changes in Ghana’s export prices of
wood products during the third quarter of 2008. Prices
were generally stable for contracts closed with buyers in
the major importing countries of Germany, Italy and
France. Most exporters found it difficult to negotiate
prices above the TIDD Minimum Guiding Selling Prices
(GSP) in some cases. It was reported by most sellers that
the limited improvement in prices was the result of the
slowdown in the building industry in Western Europe,
Ghana’s main market for wood products.
Prices of African mahogany sawn timber for the US,
which reached a high of USD1000/m³ during the second
quarter of 2008, fell significantly to an average price of
USD930/m³ during the quarter under review. Additionally,
most buyers were reported to be purchasing at cheaper
prices from Ghana’s trade competitors in Côte d’Ivoire,
Gabon and Cameroon.
Celtis rotary veneer in the US market commanded an
average price of USD500/m³, which was USD9/m³ more
than the GSP of USD491/m³ in the quarter under review.
During the third quarter of 2008, two rubberwood
contracts were given to Best Glow Wood Limited to
supply 2000 m³ each of rubberwood lumber to Tan Eng
Hout & Sons and Hsin Foogn Manufacturers Limited,
Chinese buyers of wood products from Malaysia. These
were the largest contracts signed by the company since
July 2007 and secured an improved price for rubberwood
of USD160/m³, up from the previous level of USD130/m³.
Smaller volumes of sliced veneer contracts were approved
for John Bitar & Company Limited and Logs & Lumber
Limited to supply this product to buyers in China, India,
Russia and Singapore, which previously had not been a
preferred destination for the product. It is anticipated that
these markets would be further expanded to receive larger
volumes in the future.
Ghana Log Prices
Ghana Log Prices
Ghana logs,
domestic
US$
per m³
Up
to 80 cm
80cm+
Wawa
100-115
120-145
Odum Grade A
160-170
175-185
Ceiba
90-100
105-120
Chenchen
60-90
95-112
Khaya/Mahogany (Veneer Qual.)
70-90
95-120
Sapele Gradea A
130-150
155-175
Makore (Veneer Qual.)
Grade A
125-135
140-166
Ghana Sawnwood
Prices
Ghana
Sawnwood, FOB
US$
per m³
FAS 25-100mm x 150mm up x 2.4m up
Air-dried
Kiln-dried
Afrormosia
855
-
Asanfina
490
560
Ceiba
200
260
Dahoma
330
390
Edinam (mixed redwood)
415
465 ⇓
Emeri
425
475 ⇓
African mahogany (Ivorensis)
585
670
Makore
520
610 ⇑
Niangon
560 ⇑
640
Odum
660
750
Sapele
540
600
Wawa 1C & Select
260
285
Ghana
sawnwood, domestic
US$ per m³
Wawa
25x300x4.2m
255
Emeri
25x300x4.2m
345 ⇓
Ceiba
25x300x4.2m
210 ⇑
Dahoma
50x150x4.2m
318
Redwood
50x75x4.2m
280 ⇑
Ofram
25x225x4.2m
330
Ghana Veneer Prices
Rotary
Veneer, FOB
US$
per m³
CORE
(1-1.9mm)
FACE
(<2mm)
Bombax
315
350
Kyere, Ofram, Ogea & Otie
325
360
Chenchen
315
360
Ceiba
360
305
Mahogany
415
450
The
above prices are for full sized panels, smaller sizes minus 15%.
Thickness below 1mm would attract a 5% premium.
Rotary
Veneer, FOB Core Grade 2mm & up
US$
per m³
Ceiba
245
Chenchen,
Ogea & Essa
295
Ofram
305
Slices
Veneer, FOB
US$
per m²
Face
Backing
Afrormosia
1.80
1.00
Asanfina
2.00
1.20
Avodire
1.12
0.80
Chenchen
1.00
0.55
Mahogany
1.40
0.79
Makore
1.90
0.90
Odum
1.66
1.00
Ghana Plywood Prices
Plywood,
FOB
US$ per m³
B/BB, Thickness
Redwoods
Light
Woods
WBP
MR
WBP
MR
4mm
560
475
500
380
6mm
340
325
335
285
9mm
380
300
290
270
12mm
300
300
280
250
15mm
310
280
300
270
18mm
300
280
285
260
Grade
AB/BB would attract a premium of 5%. BB/BB would be 5% less, C/CC 10%
less and CC/CC 15% less.
