UK detects Russian origin of imported Chinese plywood

Timber Development UK (TDUK), has issued a trade alert urging vigilance to ensure no plywood offered by Asian manufacturers to UK importers contains birch originating in Russia. TDUK note that a worrying development has emerged in recent weeks as TDUK members have reported increasing offers of birch plywood coming from Asia, particularly China.

The birch in this plywood is, according to TDUK, almost certainly derived from Russia given that birch forests are concentrated in Northern Russia and that China does not share the same view of the West regarding the Ukraine conflict. This means China has imposed no sanctions on Russia, with trade patterns continuing as they were prior to the conflict.

TDUK also suggest that the increasing isolation of the Russian economy has provided a business opportunity for many Chinese timber suppliers, with sanction-stricken products such as Russian birch now becoming widely available for import and processing.

TDUK warn that despite the birch plywood being processed in China, any timber originating from Russia is now illegal to import into the UK or the EU. Any (TDUK) member or non-member who imports birch plywood from outside of the EU runs a high risk of being in breach of UK sanctions.