🇨🇩 DR Congo → the world · via Kenya

Congo Basin Timber (Legal & Certified) — Export Supply

The Congo Basin rainforest produces some of the world's finest tropical hardwoods: sapele, sipo (utile), iroko, wenge, tola, padouk, afrormosia and more. These timbers are used in joinery, flooring, furniture, boat building and veneer.

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Overview

Legality is non-negotiable. We only work with concession holders and sawmills that can demonstrate legal harvesting and chain of custody, and we supply the documentation EU (EUDR/EUTR-successor), UK (UKTR) and US (Lacey Act) buyers need. Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) is CITES Appendix II listed and requires CITES export permits; DRC also restricts and taxes log exports, so we focus on sawn and processed timber.

Main markets: Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, China, Vietnam, UAE, USA (subject to legality requirements).

Types, grades & specifications

Typical specifications; exact parameters are confirmed per lot on the quotation, inspection report and certificate of analysis.

Type 1 of 6 · 🇨🇩 DR Congo

Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum)

Reddish-brown mahogany-type hardwood with a striped ribbon figure; joinery, doors, windows, furniture and veneer.

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Specifications

Density	approx. 640 kg/m³ (12% MC)
Durability	moderately durable
Forms	sawn KD/AD, FAS / FEQ grades
Thickness	27–100 mm; widths 150 mm+; lengths 2.1 m+
Grading	SATA / NHLA

Type 2 of 6 · 🇨🇩 DR Congo

Sipo / Utile (Entandrophragma utile)

Stable, medium-density mahogany-type wood with straighter grain than sapele; windows, doors and boat building.

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Specifications

Density	approx. 620 kg/m³
Durability	durable
Forms	sawn KD, FAS
Uses	joinery, stairs, marine

Type 3 of 6 · 🇨🇩 DR Congo

Iroko (Milicia excelsa)

Very durable golden-brown hardwood often used as a teak alternative for outdoor furniture, decking and marine work.

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Specifications

Density	approx. 650 kg/m³
Durability	very durable
Forms	sawn, decking profiles
Uses	outdoor, marine, worktops

Type 4 of 6 · 🇨🇩 DR Congo

Wenge (Millettia laurentii)

Dark chocolate-brown to black heavy hardwood with striking grain — premium flooring, furniture and veneer.

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Specifications

Density	approx. 870 kg/m³
Durability	durable
Forms	sawn, flooring strips, veneer
Note	IUCN-listed species — legality & sustainability docs essential

Type 5 of 6 · 🇨🇩 DR Congo

Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) — CITES II

Teak-like golden hardwood for high-end joinery and flooring. CITES Appendix II — export only with CITES permits under quota.

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Specifications

Density	approx. 700 kg/m³
Durability	very durable
CITES	Appendix II — export permit & quota required
Forms	sawn KD, FAS

Type 6 of 6 · 🇨🇩 DR Congo

Padouk, Tola & Mixed Hardwoods

Red padouk, light-coloured tola (agba) and other secondary species for flooring, furniture and construction.

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Specifications

Padouk density	approx. 750 kg/m³
Tola density	approx. 510 kg/m³
Forms	sawn, mixed bundles
Grading per buyer specification

Producing regions in DR Congo

Region	Notes
Équateur & Mongala	Large forest concessions; river transport to Kinshasa.
Tshopo (Kisangani)	Sapele, sipo, iroko, afrormosia.
Mai-Ndombe & Kwilu	Wenge and mixed hardwoods.
Kongo Central (Mayombe)	Limba and coastal forests near Matadi/Boma.

Season

Year-round; river transport is affected by low-water periods.

Packaging

Sawn timber: strapped bundles, KD or AD
Containerised 20ft / 40ft or breakbulk

Export routes

Eastern DRC (Goma, Bukavu, Butembo, Bunia) → Uganda (Kasindi–Mpondwe) or Rwanda (Gisenyi/Rubavu) → Mombasa: 7–12 days by road
Eastern DRC → Kigoma / Lake Tanganyika or by road via Rwanda → Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor)
Katanga copper belt (Lubumbashi, Kolwezi) → Kasumbalesa → Zambia → Dar es Salaam, Durban or Walvis Bay; Lobito Corridor rail via Angola
Western DRC (Kinshasa, Équateur, Kongo Central) → Port of Matadi or Boma on the Atlantic
Air: Goma (GOM), Lubumbashi (FBM), Kinshasa N'djili (FIH) — or via Entebbe / Kigali / Nairobi

Documents

DRC export declaration & licence
OCC inspection / quality certificate
Certificate of Origin (COMESA / SADC / EAC as applicable)
Phytosanitary certificate (agricultural products)
CEEC certificate and ITSCI / ICGLR documentation (minerals)
CITES permit (listed timber species such as afrormosia)
Transit documents (T1, regional bond, RECTS tracking) for Kenya/Uganda/Rwanda routes

HS codes: 4407.29 / 4407.99 (sawn tropical wood) · 4403.49 (logs — restricted) · 4409 (flooring/mouldings)

Tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from eastern DRC are covered by the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation (EU 2017/821), US Dodd-Frank Section 1502 reporting and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance. We only work with licensed exporters using ITSCI or equivalent mine-to-export traceability, ICGLR certificates and third-party audited supply chains. Cobalt exports have been subject to DRC export suspension and quota measures since 2025; availability and quotas are confirmed at the time of contract.

Buyer guides

Guides for importers

Sourcing Countries

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Kivu coffee, fine-flavour cocoa, Katanga copper and cobalt, 3T minerals and Congo Basin hardwoods — and how to move them safely to your port.

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Ready to import from Kenya?

Tell us the product, variety, quantity, Incoterm (FOB / CIF / CFR / DAP) and your destination port or airport. We reply with a formal quotation, usually within one business day.

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