Export
Exporting processed timber
Since 15 May 2010 logs may no longer be exported: article 227 of the forest code, amended by ordinance no. 008/PR/2010 of 25 February 2010, reserves national log output for local mills. Only processed products that meet the standards and dimensions set by ministerial order may leave the country. Exporters must mark their bundles, obtain the phytosanitary certificate, domicile the export with a bank with a foreign exchange undertaking when the sale outside CEMAC reaches 5 million FCFA, obtain the BIETC and pay export duty according to the processing stage.
- Steps
- 7
- Total indicative delay
- At least 1 day
- 6 steps without a published delay
- Indicative
- Total indicative cost
- 2,500 FCFA to 3,500 FCFA
- plus 6 proportional or variable fees
- Official amounts
- Last validation
- 22 September 2026
- Version 2
- Responsible institution
- Ministry of Water and Forests, Environment and Climate, in charge of Human-Wildlife Conflict
- Freshness
- Up to date
Steps
-
Check that the product may be exported
What to do
Order no. 015/MEF/SG/DGICBVPF of 22 February 2012, amended by order no. 132/MFEPRN/SG/DGICBVPF, lists the products allowed. Squared logs, boules, reversed boules and slabs may not be exported, except slabs no thicker than 250 mm and no wider than 2 m produced by integrated mills that have invested at least 25 billion FCFA. Sawn timber is subject to maximum dimensions (for example 200 x 200 mm over 10 m for beams, 80 x 400 mm over 10 m for boards). Kevazingo has been classed as non-harvestable since decree no. 00099/PR/MFE of 19 March 2018.
- Institution
- Ministry of Water and Forests, Environment and Climate, in charge of Human-Wildlife Conflict
- Channel
- At the counter
- Delay
- Not published
- Fees
-
- No published fee for this check
-
Mark the bundles and draw up the specification sheet
What to do
Each bundle leaving the mill is marked in French with its number, conditioning (moisture content, chemical treatment), contract number, destination and the operator's mark. It comes with a specification sheet in French giving the species, number of pieces, dimensions and volume or weight.
- Institution
- Ministry of Water and Forests, Environment and Climate, in charge of Human-Wildlife Conflict
- Channel
- At the counter
- Delay
- Not published
- Fees
-
- Not published
- Documents
-
Obtain the phytosanitary certificate
What to do
AGASA's plant health police inspect plants, plant products and wooden packaging for export and issue the phytosanitary certificate. The fee scale is set by decree no. 000922/PR/MEFBP/MAEDR of 18 October 2005.
- Institution
- Gabonese Food Safety Agency (AGASA)
- Channel
- Online or at the counter
- Delay
- Not published
- Fees
-
- Phytosanitary certificate for processed or semi-processed timber exports, per cubic metre (WTO 2023) 500 FCFA Official
- Documents
-
Domicile the export and sign the foreign exchange undertaking (outside CEMAC, 5 million FCFA or more)
What to do
BEAC Instruction No. 006/GR/2019 of 10 June 2019 covers exports of goods and services outside CEMAC (article 1). Unless exempted, any export worth at least 5 million FCFA is domiciled with a single licensed credit institution, which carries out the banking formalities for the exporter until the file is cleared (articles 6 and 7). Domiciliation comes before customs clearance (article 9). For goods, the file contains the export declaration, a copy of the commercial contract or an equivalent document, the firm foreign exchange undertaking following the template annexed to the instruction, the tax identification number and, for restricted goods, the required authorisations (article 13). Exemptions include supplies to foreign ships and aircraft, samples not for sale, gifts to a foreign State and permanent removals outside CEMAC (article 18). Splitting an export to stay below the threshold is prohibited (article 27). Proceeds are repatriated to CEMAC through the domiciliation bank within 150 days of export at most (article 20).
- Channel
- At the counter
- Delay
- Processing time not published; domiciliation before customs clearance and repatriation of proceeds within 150 days at most (BEAC Instruction No. 006/GR/2019, art. 9 and 20)
- Fees
-
- Not published (bank charges set by each bank)
-
Obtain the BIETC from the Gabonese Shippers' Council
What to do
The exporter records the shipment on the BIETC platform of the Gabonese Shippers' Council (CGC). The note covers outbound freight by sea, air and road and supports the freight traffic monitoring set up by ordinance no. 009/PR/2014 of 20 August 2014.
- Institution
- Gabonese Shippers' Council (CGC)
- Channel
- Online or at the counter
- Location
- Gabonese Shippers' Council office in Owendo (filing of documents)
- Delay
- Not published; for air freight the document is released on arrival after checks and payment
- Fees
-
- Export BIETC, all zones and modes (WTO 2023, CGC) 2,500 FCFA Official
- Express freight export supplement (WTO 2023) 1,000 FCFA Official
-
File the detailed export declaration in ASYCUDA World
What to do
A licensed customs broker files the detailed declaration in ASYCUDA World (SYDONIA World), with the sanitary or phytosanitary certificate and the certificate of origin when the importing country requires them. A simplified export declaration (DESE) is available to some exporters. Export duties depend on the processing stage set by finance law no. 019/2020 of 17 July 2020: furniture, joinery, flooring, panels, pallets, carvings and other third stage products are exempt. Administrative reference values are used as the basis for processed timber.
- Channel
- Online or at the counter
- Location
- Customs headquarters, 823 avenue Nelson Mandela, Oloumi industrial zone, Libreville, and customs offices at the port, airport and land borders
- Delay
- Average customs processing time for exports of 24 hours according to the authorities (WTO 2023) Official
- Fees
-
- Export duty, first stage processing 7.5% Official
- Export duty, second stage processing 3% Official
- Export duty, third stage processing 0% Official
- Documents
-
For the European Union: provide due diligence data to the buyer
What to do
Timber and derived products fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. The operator placing the product on the EU market must file a due diligence statement showing the wood comes from forests without deforestation or degradation after 31 December 2020 and was legally produced. The Gabonese exporter supplies geolocation coordinates and proof of legality. After postponement, these obligations apply from 30 December 2026 for large and medium companies and from 30 June 2027 for micro and small companies (Regulation (EU) 2025/2650).
- Channel
- Online
- Delay
- Not published
- Fees
-
- No public fee set by the regulation
Process diagram (BPMN)
The diagram cannot be displayed: the BPMN file is invalid.
Documents to prepare
Tick each document as you go. Official templates can be downloaded when they exist.
-
Document in French accompanying each bundle of processed timber for export.
-
Certificate issued by AGASA's plant health police after inspecting plants, plant products, timber or wooden packaging; fee set by decree no. 000922/PR/MEFBP/MAEDR of 18 October 2005.
-
Undertaking by which the exporter commits to repatriate the export proceeds to CEMAC and to sell the foreign currency to the domiciliation bank, following the template annexed to BEAC Instruction No. 006/GR/2019. It is part of the domicilia...
-
Supplier invoice showing the transaction value, the basis for customs value.
-
Transport document for the goods (bill of lading, air waybill or consignment note depending on the mode).
-
Proof of the international transport cost, required by customs and for the BIETC.
-
Detailed list of packages, their contents and weight.
-
Written declaration lodged in ASYCUDA World by a licensed customs broker, assigning a customs procedure to imported or exported goods (articles 145 onwards of the CEMAC customs code).
-
Electronic tracking document for international and domestic freight issued by the Gabonese Shippers' Council, required by customs for sea and air imports and also charged on exports.
-
Statement filed by the operator placing cocoa, timber or other covered products on the EU market, confirming no deforestation after 31 December 2020 and legal production; it relies on plot geolocation.
Fees
| Step | Fee | Amount | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No published fee for this check | Not published | ||
| 2 | Not published | Not published | Variable | |
| 3 | Phytosanitary certificate for processed or semi-processed timber exports, per cubic metre (WTO 2023) | 500 FCFA | Variable | Official |
| 4 | Not published (bank charges set by each bank) | Not published | Variable | |
| 5 | Export BIETC, all zones and modes (WTO 2023, CGC) | 2,500 FCFA | Fixed amount | Official |
| 5 | Express freight export supplement (WTO 2023) | 1,000 FCFA | Fixed amount | Official |
| 6 | Export duty, first stage processing | 7.5% | Percentage | Official |
| 6 | Export duty, second stage processing | 3% | Percentage | Official |
| 6 | Export duty, third stage processing | 0% | Percentage | Official |
| 7 | No public fee set by the regulation | Not published |
Amounts marked "official" are taken from official publications or international institutions, cited in the sources of this sheet. See the sources
Legal basis
-
Code
Forest code -
Ordinance
Ordinance amending the forest code (log export ban) -
Regulation
CEMAC customs code -
Regulation
Regulation on foreign exchange in CEMAC -
Regulation
EU deforestation regulation (EUDR)
Related procedures
Ask a question about this procedure
The assistant answers from the procedures and texts published on the portal, with sources.
Sources
10 sources cited
- Journal officiel de la République gabonaise n° 4, 1er au 15 avril 2010 (ordonnance n° 008/PR/2010 du 25 février 2010) (opens in a new tab)
- Arrêté n° 132/MFEPRN/SG/DGICBVPF modifiant l'arrêté n° 15/MEF/SG/DGICBVPF portant normes et classification des produits forestiers autorisés à l'exportation (opens in a new tab)
- Cadre réglementaire, légal et juridique applicable à la gestion forestière, à la transformation et au commerce du bois au Gabon (opens in a new tab)
- Impact de l'arrêt de l'exportation des grumes dans la région lacustre du Gabon (opens in a new tab)
- Examen des politiques commerciales des pays de la CEMAC, rapport du Secrétariat, annexe 3 Gabon (WT/TPR/S/445, 16 août 2023) (opens in a new tab)
- Police phytosanitaire (copie archivée de agasa.site) (opens in a new tab)
- Règlement (UE) 2023/1115 du 31 mai 2023 relatif à la déforestation et à la dégradation des forêts (opens in a new tab)
- Delay until December 2026 and other developments in the implementation of the EUDR regulation (opens in a new tab)
- Doing Business 2020, profil économique du Gabon (données collectées en mai 2019) (opens in a new tab)
- Instruction n° 006/GR/2019 du 10 juin 2019 précisant les conditions et modalités de déclaration, domiciliation des exportations de biens et services et de rapatriement dans la CEMAC des recettes afférentes (opens in a new tab)
