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How valuable is African timber, and why do Africans love cutting down trees so much? Let's find out together:
First, we need to know two facts. 1. The best timber we value most is not from Africa. For example, huanghuali (rosewood) comes from Southeast Asia and southern my country. xiaoye zitan (red sandalwood) comes from India. 2. Africans don't have a habit of cutting down trees, just like we did when we developed Northeast China-exploiting natural resources for economic development.
While many African timbers aren't the absolute best, several varieties are still quite good. For example, Rosewood (Asian rosewood) was priced at approximately $11,000 FOB per 20 small containers in Africa in 2016. There are also some hardwoods, such as Wenge, originally used for flooring, which is relatively inexpensive, and Burmese, which are common hardwoods. As for sinking in water, many timbers have a core density greater than water, so sinking is not uncommon.
The best material for African wood carving is ebony.
African ebony is considered the best and most highly regarded wood in Africa, but it's not well-regarded in China. While ebony is the best material for African wood carvings, it's not highly regarded in China. Europeans, however, highly value it. As an aside, be careful when buying wood carvings in Africa; many are made of hardwood and polished with black shoe polish.
Currently, the most valuable wood in Africa is rosewood, which costs 360,000 yuan per ton (it is much heavier than water). Other valuable woods include ironwood, African teak, padauk, and yellow rosewood.
African rosewood
It's not that Africans love cutting down trees; it's that Chinese people crave furniture made from precious woods. The market is too big, and the appetite is too big. I believe the vast majority of Africa's precious wood is exported to China.
African rosewood furniture
In earlier years, many Chinese people discovered the business opportunities in African timber, bringing the timber back to China and quickly becoming wealthy. Today, Africa has stricter controls on timber.
African wood carving
No market, no logging!