Sawn timber transit through Kazakhstan is banned for Russian exporters

The corresponding document amends Decree of the Government dated July 15, 2010 and sets new standards of letting dried sawn timber across the Russian border: it can now be exported only by railway, to Belarus via the Russian–Belorussian border and to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, via the Russian–Kazakhstan section of the border. The Decree does not allow transiting sawn timber through Kazakhstan.

The ban was effectively introduced 12 years ago but during all that time, Russian companies were shipping cargos by this route in the scope of over 1 million m³ per year.

As reported by Kommersant, Russian timber enterprises are asking the authorities to lift the restrictions on transiting dried sawn timber through Kazakhstan to third countries. The Arkhangelsk Regional Assembly of Deputies and the Vyatskaya Chamber of Commerce and Industry sent the corresponding letters to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The Association of Tomsk Timber Enterprises and Timber Experts addressed Vladimir Mazur, Governor of this region, while Evgeny Markov and Alexander Spiridonov, deputies of the State Duma, proposed this matter for their colleagues’ consideration on December 8.

The route through Kazakhstan remains essential for the industry because its alternative for shipments to Asia is across the border with China or via Far Eastern ports. The capacity of both these routes is already exceeded and there is almost no space for sawn timber.