Neither international sanctions nor European Union (EU) environmental regulations have halted the flow of timber of opaque origin from the Central African Republic (CAR), according to data compiled by timber industry publications and the investigative organisation The Sentry. Last year, Chinese companies purchased a record volume of approximately 138,600 cubic metres of CAR logs, while EU importers increased their purchases by 44%. (Note: the UNECE/FAO standard conversion factor for tropical hardwood logs — 1 tonne ≈ 1.37 m³ — was used for the calculation).
Trade volumes and key markets
Despite the US and UK sanctions imposed in 2024 against Bois Rouge, a logging company affiliated with the Russian mercenary group Wagner , global demand for CAR’s valuable hardwood continues to rise. Last year, Chinese buyers paid $34.3 million for this timber—an increase compared to $24.1 million in 2022—purchasing ~138,640 cubic metres of logs. China buys approximately four-fifths of all registered Central African Republic timber used for the production of veneer, plywood, and acoustic ceiling panels; Bois Rouge sawn timber was sold last year in the shop of the Chinese company China Kunte.
According to Eurostat data, in 2025, approximately 18,330 cubic metres of logs were imported into the European Union from the CAR. The largest buyers were France, which almost doubled its purchase volume to ~8,000 cubic metres, and Portugal, which imported ~6,650 cubic metres. Since 2023, the second-largest officially registered buyer after China has been Turkey. Its purchases in monetary terms grew from $2.2 million in 2021 to $8 million last year—including $3 million for sawn timber—as sanctioned suppliers diverted their shipments to markets with lower origin verification requirements. The investigative organisation The Sentry ranks Vietnam alongside China as one of the two largest markets for CAR timber; however, Vietnam does not report data to UN trade databases, which is why actual volumes remain outside of international statistics, while Pakistan has become another regular destination for Bois Rouge shipments.
Control and breaches of law
The investigation revealed that companies linked to the Wagner group and the Chinese companies Vicwood Group and Great Luck control nearly 40% of the Central African Republic’s commercial logging areas. The timber serves as payment for military support, and according to US Treasury Department data, Bois Rouge obtained its logging concession in early 2021 as compensation for security services provided by Wagner to the CAR government in its fight against rebels. Although CAR law stipulates that companies may export no more than 30% of raw logs, with the rest processed locally, last year approximately 90% of all registered export volume consisted of raw logs.
CAR authorities declared exports worth $11.3 million for 2024 in the UN trade database (UN Comtrade) without specifying any destination country, while data for 2025 have not been submitted.
EUDR weaknesses and future prospects
The main reason why timber of dubious origin continues to flow freely into Europe is the specific application of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the delays in its implementation, and flawed risk assessment. Under the supervision of Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall, the European Commission still classifies the CAR as a “low-risk” country. Incredible, but true… The Sentry notes that this assessment is based almost entirely on long-term logging rates, completely ignoring the corruption, non-compliance with the law, and the presence of sanctioned groups in the country.
“Low risk” status allows EU importers to apply simplified due diligence, or so-called simplified due diligence. As a result, five EU member states – including France and Portugal – received 18 shipments last year from the Chinese company Great Luck, regarding which The Sentry is now calling on Brussels authorities to launch an investigation.
There are seven weeks left for large and medium-sized enterprises until EUDR requirements come into full effect. Researchers are calling on the EU to re-evaluate the status of the Central African Republic to a “standard-risk” country and are demanding that Western countries, as well as China and Vietnam, implement stricter controls regarding timber imported through third countries.
Sources: Global timber industry websites and the organisation The Sentry