Russian timber industry news #21-2015

– RusForest announced preliminary Q3 2015 production and sales results. Sales to the Japanese market grew, and prices increased slightly, however, overall sales volumes of both sawnwood and sawlogs decreased due to sustained unfavorable market conditions in the Chinese and Central Asian markets.

– PTsBK Group (Perm pulpmill) plans to launch its own production of virgin-fibre cardboard for flat layers (top-liner). The decision comes due to rapidly increasing cost and unstable supply of raw materials.

– A major Russian-Chinese holding will be created on the basis of JV Arkaim: the management of Khabarovsk region met with one of the potential investors, a company from Heilongjiang province, Go Tai. The concept of recovery implies the conclusion of a settlement agreement with credit institutions and selling shares to two Chinese investors.

– In 2015-2016, general supplier of raw wood to Arkhangelsk PPM, Titan Group, is going to invest over RUB 1 billion in the logging base of former Svetlozerskles timber industry enterprise in the Arkhangelsk region.

– In Ust-Kamenogorsk (East Kazakhstan region, Kazakhstan), construction of an OSB mill is almost completed on the base of Melissa enterprise, with rated capacity of 30,000 m3. The first batch of products is scheduled for production for the end of November.

– The fare for vehicles with a permissible maximum weight over 12 tonnes (including logging trucks) on the roads of general use and federal importance, which is charged since November 15, 2015, will be temporarily reduced by nearly 60%. The decision was taken after serious protests from truck drivers.

– As German Pellets explained to Fordaq website, the company does not participate in any pellet project in Russia.

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.