Iroko Wood Price per Cubic Meter and African Hardwoods

In its report for 1 to 15 September 2026, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) notes that demand for Central and West African timber remains concentrated on red species, iroko, andoung and sapele, that Chinese buyers came back earlier than expected, and that higher freight to Europe is weighing on European importers who were already cautious.

The same report publishes, every two weeks, FOB selling prices for African timber. They are the most reliable figures available in the open. Here they are, with the rules that now frame buying timber in Africa.

Log prices

FOB prices in euros per cubic metre, West and Central Africa, Asian market, by grade (LM, B, BC/C):

Source: ITTO Tropical Timber Market Report, volume 30, number 17, 1 to 15 September 2026.

Sawn timber prices

Once sawn, dried and graded, the same wood is worth three to four times more. FOB prices in euros per cubic metre:

In Ghana, ITTO records country prices: sawn sapele sells at €742 per m³ air dried and €825 kiln dried, and odum, the Ghanaian name for iroko, above €1,000.

What about teak? West Africa grows plantation teak in Benin, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire, sold mostly to India. ITTO recorded sawn teak from Benin at US$688 per m³, cost and freight to Indian ports.

What you can no longer buy, and where

• Central African logs. The CEMAC countries (Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Chad) decided on 23 February 2024 to ban all log exports from 1 January 2028. Gabon has not exported logs for more than ten years. Cameroon raised to 91 the number of species banned from export as logs, by an order of 28 April 2026.
• Kosso, West African rosewood. Listed in CITES Appendix II since January 2017, its trade has been suspended in all sixteen range countries since June 2022.
• Afrormosia, or assamela, also in CITES Appendix II: it only leaves with a CITES permit.

For the European Union, the deforestation regulation applies to wood from 30 December 2026 for large operators: every lot will have to be linked to the plots it was cut from.

The documents of a timber purchase

1. the contract, with species, grade under the grading rules, dimensions, volume and moisture content;
2. proof that the wood comes from a legal concession: logging title, felling permit and, where relevant, FSC or PEFC certification;
3. the CITES permit for listed species;
4. the phytosanitary certificate, and a treatment certificate if the destination requires it;
5. the certificate of origin and the country's forestry export documents;
6. for Europe, the traceability information required by the deforestation regulation.

Our view

Central Africa has decided to stop selling its trees whole. The choice makes sense: a cubic metre of iroko is worth €270 as a log and €870 sawn. The difference is jobs and mills at home. But the decision only works if the sawmills follow, and if buyers accept to pay for quality.

For a buyer, the consequence is simple: you will have to buy sawn timber, and check the legality of every lot. Those who do not do it today will pay for it tomorrow at European customs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the price of iroko wood per cubic meter?

According to ITTO, €225 to €270 per m³ as logs and €870 to €920 per m³ sawn, FOB West and Central Africa, in September 2026.

What is the price of sapele?

€220 to €250 per m³ as logs and about €550 per m³ for FAS sawn timber, FOB. In Ghana, €742 to €825 per m³ depending on drying.

Can you still export logs from Cameroon?

For some species only: 91 are already banned as logs, and the ban becomes total across CEMAC on 1 January 2028.

Which African hardwoods are protected?

Kosso (Pterocarpus erinaceus), whose trade CITES has suspended since 2022, and afrormosia, which needs a CITES permit, among others.

What are the main African hardwood types?

Iroko, sapele, sipo, padauk, azobe, ayous, okoume, African mahogany (khaya) and moabi are among the most traded.

What we do

GraceRoad looks for sawmills and timber exporters in West and Central Africa on mandate, for a fixed sourcing fee agreed upfront: concession legality, permits, quality on samples, export documents. We arrange inspection and transport to the port.

Read next: EUDR 2026: what changes for African cocoa, coffee and wood and project cargo in West Africa.

Sources: International Tropical Timber Organization, "Tropical Timber Market Report", volume 30, number 17, 1 to 15 September 2026 (FOB prices for West and Central African logs and sawn timber, Ghana prices, teak in India); CEMAC Council of Ministers decision of 23 February 2024 and Cameroon Ministry of Forests order of 28 April 2026, reported by Le360 Afrique and Greenpeace Africa; CITES notifications to the Parties of 2022 and Standing Committee documents on Pterocarpus erinaceus; Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 postponing the application of the deforestation regulation.