West and Central Africa produce a large share of the world's cocoa, cashew nuts, shea and gum arabic. But importing from Africa is not like ordering from Asia: each commodity has its season, its official price, its regulator and, more and more often, a ban on exporting the raw material.
Here are the region's ten main agricultural commodities, each with its main origin, a verified 2026 reference price, and the rule to know before signing. Each commodity links to our detailed article.
The ten commodities in one table
| Commodity | Main origin | 2026 price benchmark | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa | Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon | 1,200 CFA francs/kg to Ivorian farmers; US$5,700/t in New York on 6 October | Forward sales and export rights in Côte d'Ivoire |
| Cashew nuts | Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Guinea-Bissau | 400 CFA francs/kg to Ivorian farmers; W320 kernels at US$3.35 to 3.50/lb FOB Africa in July | Benin bans raw nut exports |
| Robusta coffee | Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon | 1,300 CFA francs/kg to Ivorian farmers; about US$3,445/t in London at the end of September | Covered by the EU deforestation regulation |
| Sesame | Burkina Faso | Floor price of 535 CFA francs/kg; record crop of 376,945 t | Trading below the floor is banned |
| Cotton | Benin, Mali | 300 CFA francs/kg of seed cotton in Mali; 433,700 t harvested | Lint bought from the cotton companies |
| Shea | Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire | Minimum 250 CFA francs/kg in Côte d'Ivoire; 175 in Mali | Kernel exports restricted or suspended depending on the country |
| Gum arabic | Chad, Nigeria, Senegal | US$0.74 to 1.29/kg for Chadian exports | Demand proof of origin, because of the war in Sudan |
| Groundnuts | Senegal | Floor price of 305 CFA francs/kg | Export rules set each season |
| Natural rubber | Côte d'Ivoire | 526 CFA francs/kg to farmers in October | Raw rubber exports banned since 2023 |
| Timber | Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana | Iroko: €225 to 270/m³ as logs, €870 to 920/m³ sawn | Log exports banned in the CEMAC zone from 2028 |
Commodity by commodity
1. Cocoa. Côte d'Ivoire set the farmgate price at 1,200 CFA francs per kilo for 2026-2027, while cocoa has gained 95% in New York since March. The Ivorian price follows forward sales made when prices were low. Cocoa price 2026: who can buy the beans.
2. Cashew nuts. Côte d'Ivoire processed about 600,000 tonnes of raw nuts in 2025. You buy raw nuts in Côte d'Ivoire or Guinea-Bissau, and kernels in Benin. Raw cashew nuts price in 2026 and cashew kernels W320: grades and price.
3. Coffee. Ivorian robusta is paid 1,300 CFA francs per kilo to farmers for 2026-2027. Africa also produces arabica, in Cameroon and East Africa. African coffee beans wholesale.
4. Sesame. Burkina Faso harvested a record 376,945 tonnes in 2024-2025, but Chinese demand softened and the floor price fell 14.4%. Sesame seeds from Burkina Faso.
5. Cotton. Benin has regained the lead in West African production; Mali harvested 433,700 tonnes of seed cotton in 2025-2026. Mali cotton lint: CMDT and export.
6. Shea. Almost every producing country has restricted raw kernel exports to have them processed locally: buyers increasingly buy butter rather than kernels. Shea butter wholesale.
7. Gum arabic. Chad became France's leading supplier in early 2026, ahead of war-torn Sudan. Proof of origin is essential. Gum arabic price and suppliers.
8. Groundnuts. Senegal kept its floor price at 305 CFA francs per kilo and reopened exports in January 2026 by removing the 40 CFA franc per kilo tax. Senegal groundnuts 2026.
9. Natural rubber. The world's third largest producer, Côte d'Ivoire requires all its rubber to be processed in the country before export. Natural rubber from Ivory Coast.
10. Timber. Iroko is worth three times more sawn than as logs, and the CEMAC zone will ban log exports on 1 January 2028. Iroko wood price per cubic meter.
Rules common to all commodities
- Buy from an approved exporter for the current season: each sector has its regulator and its authorisations.
- Set quality in writing: grade, moisture, impurities, size, and the standards of the destination country.
- Have the goods inspected before shipment by an independent body.
- Plan the documents: certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, quality certificate, and for the European Union, the traceability required by the deforestation regulation for cocoa, coffee, rubber and timber.
- Pay against documents, by documentary credit, rather than in advance.
Our view
The common thread of these ten commodities is the gradual end of raw exports: cashew nuts in Benin, rubber in Côte d'Ivoire, shea kernels in Burkina Faso, logs in Central Africa. For an importer, this means buying more processed products, and looking for suppliers among factories rather than collectors. For Africa, it is the right direction: value is created where goods are processed.
Frequently asked questions
What products can be imported from Africa?
The main agricultural commodities of West and Central Africa are cocoa, cashew nuts, coffee, sesame, cotton, shea, gum arabic, groundnuts, natural rubber and timber.
How do you import goods from Africa?
By buying from an approved exporter, with a written specification, pre-shipment inspection, certificates of origin, phytosanitary and quality certificates, and payment by documentary credit.
Can raw materials still be imported from Africa?
Less and less: several countries ban or restrict exports of raw cashew nuts, rubber, shea kernels or logs so that they are processed locally.
When is the best time to buy?
During or just after each commodity's harvest. Buying off season means paying more for goods stored for months.
Should I use a sourcing agent?
It helps if you cannot vet suppliers on the ground yourself. See how to choose a sourcing agent.
What we do
GraceRoad sources these commodities for buyers worldwide, on mandate, for a fixed sourcing fee agreed upfront: vetting of exporters and factories, inspection of every lot, transport to the port and delivery to your warehouse if you wish. We do not deal in gold, diamonds or precious stones.
Read next: sourcing from Africa: three worked cases and commodity scams in Africa: 12 red flags.
Sources: the figures for each commodity come from our detailed articles, where their sources are cited: Conseil du Café-Cacao and the Ivorian government (cocoa, coffee), Conseil coton anacarde (cashew, shea), African Cashew Alliance, CMB News (cashew kernels), Burkina Faso's agro-pastoral sector council and INTERSEB (sesame), Mali's Higher Council for Agriculture (cotton), Ecofin Agency and Tridge (gum arabic), Senegal's agriculture ministry and Le Soleil (groundnuts), APROMAC (rubber), International Tropical Timber Organization and CEMAC (timber).