A shortage of high-quality raw material for plywood may emerge in the Russian market because of the risk of increased birch logs and veneer export to China

Over the past years, Russian export of birch veneer (semi-finished goods used for plywood production and furniture board facing; essentially a low value-added product) has increased significantly. Just like with birch roundwood, the biggest buyer is China. For example, exports from Russia to China almost doubled over five years, growing from 241,000 m³ to 419,000 m³.

With the sanctions pressure and considerably limited plywood sales markets for Russian timber enterprises, additional risks emerge concerning supplies of unprocessed wood to domestic plywood mills, specifically high-quality birch raw material for plywood, because these volumes are reoriented to China as both roundwood and veneer.

Read more in Russian Timber Journal 03-2024.