A major structural change is underway in the African timber industry as operations are reoriented away from the European market towards Asian markets.

This change is driven by factors both on the supply-side, particularly declining availability of timber species of interest to the European market; and on the demand-side as consumption is weakening in Europe at a time when demand in Asia is rising rapidly.

Although this shift has been going on now for over a decade, the full implications were laid bare in March this year with the announcement that the Rougier holding company was to be placed under court-ordered receivership proceedings in France with a view to rolling out extensive restructuring actions.