OREANDA-NEWS  According to the results of the first nine months of 2024, the total volume of railway exports of Russian timber to foreign buyers decreased by nine percent compared to the same period in 2023. This is reported by Kommersant with reference to data from the analytical center Transles.

It is noted that in January-September, domestic exporters were able to export a total of 7.3 million tons of lumber abroad. During this period of time, roundwood supplies from Russia decreased by 18 percent year-on-year, to 1.2 million. Experts linked such dynamics, among other things, with the legislative restriction on the export of wood raw materials.

The total volume of timber cargo transportation from Russia decreased by three percent in the first nine months of 2024 and amounted to 21.9 million tons. Analysts explain the decline by a decrease in demand from the key buyer of these products from Russia — China. This Asian country, as experts emphasize, has cooled towards Russian lumber amid the stagnation of the real estate sector and infrastructure constraints.

The supply of Russian lumber to China has been declining for several years. According to Roslesinforg, in 2023, the main buyer of these products from the Russian Federation reduced its imports by seven percent to the level of 2022 and by 38.5 percent to the indicator of 2021. During this period of time, the volume of Russian timber exports to China has also dropped sharply. According to the General Customs Administration of China, the indicator decreased by 12.7 percent.