· Gabon, Cameroon and Republic of Congo together have about 33 M ha of forest concessions, about one quarter of these concessions have third party legality verification or forest certification. It is not known what percentage of the harvested timber qualifies for export under EUTR due diligence rules. A key question is how to further increase legal and sustainable wood production in order to ensure sustainable tropical wood supply to China.

· According to ITTO research wood markets will face a massive supply gap in the next 3 decades. Wood production is unlikely to keep pace with growing demand for wood fiber and products.

· In mature markets, e.g. in the EU, USA, tropical wood is increasingly replaced by modified softwood.

· Progressive Chinese wood industry is increasingly concerned about high investment risk and illegal logging in tropical countries, and therefore prefers to source timber from other countries with a better track record respecting the rule of law, unless Chinese businesses have reassurances that tropical timber is coming from proven legal and sustainable sources.

To prepare answers to the above described situation Chinese industry representatives agreed to join a study tour to central Africa organized by ITTO, GIZ and the GGSC Secretariat during 23 Feburary-10 March 2019.

During this joint the GGSC Secretariat scoping trip the delegation met with relevant stakeholders such as forest concession and wood processing enterprises, wood industry associations, government officials, ITTO focal points  EU delegations and donors in Gabon, Cameroon and Republic of Congo to

· announce the GGSC Secretariat to relevant stakeholders and invite African industry associations and enterprises to join GGSC,

· gather information on legal and sustainable wood production in each country and supply to China,

· identify possible the GGSC Secretariat support activities fostering legal and sustainable wood exports to China.

The GGSC scoping trip delegation consisted of:

Chinese wood importing and processing industry, GGSC members

Mr XU Wei, Starforest Art Flooring, Zhejiang;

Mr WU Xuyan, BNBM Group, Forests, Beijing;

Mr SHAO Yangcheng, Power Dekor Group, Dare Flooring, Jiangsu

GGSC secretariat at CAF

Ms Dr LUO Xinjian

ITTO

Gerhard DIETERLE (available only in Republic of Congo)

LI Qiang

Polycarpe MASUPA

GIZ

BAO Yuan

Ralph RIDDER

ATIBT

Benoit Jobbé-Duval

Key actors contacted during the scoping trip