Cameroon Advances Cemac Log Export Ban: An Important Step To Combat Forest Crime
Washington, DC/Yaounde – The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA US) welcomes the Government of Cameroon’s decision to expand the list of timber species prohibited to be exported as raw logs. As EIA’s investigations have documented over the years, the export of logs has benefitted forest offenders to the detriment of ecosystems, communities, and the national economy.
On 28 April 2026, the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife signed an arrêté adding 15 species to the list covered under the national log export ban, this includes in particular; Bossé Clair (Guarea cedrata), Bossé Foncé (Guarea thompsonii), Bubinga Rose (Guibourtia pellegriniana), Bubinga Rouge (Guibourtia demeusei / Guibourtia tessmannii), Dibétou/Bibolo (Lovoa trichilioides), Ekaba/Ekop Ribi (Berlinia bracteosa), Ovengkol/Bubinga E (Guibourtia ehie), Padouk Blanc (Pterocarpus mildbraedii), and Padouk Rouge (Pterocarpus soyauxii).
The decision aligns with the regional commitment under the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) Decision No. 06/24-UEAC-225-CM-41 of 23 February 2024, which mandates the progressive ban on the export of unprocessed logs across central Africa by 2028. In Cameroon, the reform is further grounded in Law No. 2024/008 of 24 July 2024 on the forestry and wildlife region, reinforcing the country’s legal and policy framework for sustainable forest management.
Fabrice Lamfu, the Africa program Manager at EIA US said, “The log export ban will not solve all forest crimes overnight, but it raises the cost of illegality and ultimately serves as a deterrent against criminal actors.” According to EIA’s investigations carried out in Congo Basin countries for over a decade, including in Cameroon, the export of logs against national laws is arguably the largest forest crime, both in volume and revenues, in the region. It is a crime that hurts fragile forest ecosystems, livelihoods, and importantly national coffers.
This important milestone puts Cameroon in a favorable position to effectively meet the regional goal established by the CEMAC to end log exports from the region by 2028. EIA calls on government institutions, private sector operators, regional bodies, and international partners to intensify efforts to eliminate log exports and ensure strict compliance with the new classification. Effective implementation of the ban will also be crucial to comply with the new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is slated to come into effect in December 2026; as a major partner in international cooperation, the EU should actively support the new measures. Benoit Ndameu, Congo Basin Campaigner at EIA US, said, “The expansion of the list of protected species from 76 to 91 is a strong and necessary move. What matters now is consistent implementation and enforcement across the sector.”
EIA remains committed to supporting this transition across Cameroon and the wider CEMAC region by strengthening transparency, reinforcing independent forest monitoring, and working with partners to ensure accountability in timber flows. Full enforcement of the log export ban by 2028 is not only a policy commitment but also a strategic economic opportunity to drive local value addition, reduce illegal logging, and improve sector governance.