Russian timber industry news #2-2015

RusForest announced preliminary 2014 results: sawlog harvesting in Magistralny decreased 10.7% to 278,896 m3, compared with 312,228 m3 in 2013.

For large-scale modernization of Arkhangelsk LDK-3, an increase in the allowable cut to 2 million m3 will be required.

Pilot projects of transition to intensive forest management will be carried out in the Far East, the Angara basin (Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk regions) and North-West Russia (Karelia, Komi, Arkhangelsk, Vologda and Leningrad regions).

Completing the restructuring and optimization of production in Russia, IKEA Industry sold Swedwood Karelia LLC to a Finnish company PinArctic Oy.

A new mini-plant for the production of pellets opened in Pirovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region.

RosKitInvest and Henda-Sibir companies are close to the launch of the first stage of their project, a 100,000 m3 veneer mill.

The railway to the Kastamonu mill in Elabuga, Tatarstan, has been launched.

PDK Apsheronsk mill (Krasnodar region) has launched its panel mill in the early 2015 and started the shipment of MDF.

The company Plitspichprom (Kaluga region) has launched a moulded products line in January 2015.

Since February 1, Belarus introduced temporary licensing of certain types of chipboard for importing from outside the Customs Union.

Chinese State Forestry Corporation will allocate $600 million to resume full operation and repayment of loans at JV Arkaim.

Logging level in Russia in 2014, according to preliminary estimates, increased slightly to 196 million m3.

In 2014, total exports of timber from the Tomsk region increased by 1.5%.

Solombala LDK sawmill was declared bankrupt on January 13, 2015.

In 2014, total newsprint production at Kondopoga mill increased by 31.7%.

More detailed news of the Russian timber industry and review of global market trends of roundwood, lumber, wood panels and pellets; exclusive articles and interviews; over 25 pages of price charts are available in our digital Russian Timber Journal.