The Yangtze port of Zhangjiagang in Jiangsu province received China’s first vessel carrying sawn logs from the Gabonese Republic on 26 September. It was carrying 8,900 cubic metres of sawn logs, worth US$6.42m.

In 2010 China imported 720,000 cubic metres of uncut wood from Gabon, 550,000 cubic metres of which arrived in Zhangjiagang. Overseas sales of the commodity were stopped, however, due to new legislation introduced by the Gabonese government in May 2010 to ban such exports.

Since then Chinese trading companies have set up a processing plant in the African country. Import volumes are expected to rise substantially from now on.