The timber export duty issue, a matter that has hampered Russian-Finnish forest industry cooperation for quite some time, was resolved as part of WTO negotiations between Russia and the EU.
“Russia`s timber duty decision is a positive result from the perspective of the Finnish forest industry. According to the information available at the moment, effects of the duties will not focus on timber grades, which are imported into Finland, as heavily as before. Russian export duties on hardwood will decrease to a quarter of the current level. Duties on softwood will decrease by half", says Timo Jaatinen, Director General of the Finnish Forest Industries Federation.
"The Finnish forest industry has, however, already adjusted its operations to reduced timber imports from Russia and relies on domestic raw materials to a very large extent. A recovery in Russian timber imports is now dependent on developments in forest industry exports and the cost competitiveness of both domestic and Russian timber.
Source: http://www.forestindustries.fi |
