In practice, the recent decline in tropical imports into the EU is better seen as a region-wide phenomenon driven mainly by supply side trends.  In 2017, a range of factors conspired to result in extremely low tropical sawn hardwood imports across the EU. These include:   On-going serious problems and delays with shipping out of Douala Port in Cameroon.  Overstocking in the EU at the end of 2016 following arrival all at once of a large volume of delayed shipments from Africa.  Diminishing commercial availability of tropical hardwood species of interest to European ...