Gabon's Port of Libreville and the adjacent Owendo bulk terminal together handle approximately 15 million tonnes of cargo annually, making them the primary trade gateway for one of Central Africa's wealthiest economies per capita. Manganese ore from the COMILOG Moanda mine in the interior is the port's dominant bulk export, transported on the SETRAG railway 700 kilometres from the mine to the Owendo terminal. Timber, which Gabon exports in processed form following its 2010 log export ban, represents the second major export stream. Imports consist primarily of petroleum products, consumer goods, and construction materials for Gabon's oil-funded development programme.
Modernisation Programme
A comprehensive port modernisation programme launched in 2021 includes a new container terminal capable of handling 500,000 TEUs annually, replacing the current general cargo facility. The project, financed by a combination of Gabonese government resources and development bank lending, is designed to position Libreville as a container hub for Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, and Cameroon, reducing dependence on Douala as the region's logistics gateway. Port and logistics contacts for the Central African Gulf of Guinea region are available on intra-africa.com.
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