Russian industrial output grew by two per cent in 2019 compared with the previous year. The production index of the wood products industry grew by five per cent and the chemical forest industry by three per cent. Export volumes were on the rise in the wood products industry in particular.
According to the national statistics, Russia produced 30 million cubic meters of sawnwood in 2019, of which coniferous sawnwood accounted for over 90 percent. The production volume of sawnwood increased by five per cent from the previous year. The national statistics are not covering all production and estimated annual production according to the Faostat statistics is about 14 million cubic meters higher. Exports of sawnwood amounted to 36 million cubic meters *, an increase of three per cent. The main export countries were China, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Egypt. China’s share of sawnwood exports was 64 percent.
Four million cubic meters of plywood and 10 million cubic meters of particle board were produced in 2019. Plywood production decreased three per cent from the previous year, while particle board production increased 17 per cent. Fiberboard production was 682 million square meters, an increase of two per cent. Two thirds of the produced plywood were exported. Plywood exports increased by 12 per cent, the United States, Egypt and Germany being the main export countries.
Wood pulp production decreased four per cent from the previous year and accounted for 8.2 million tonnes. More than two million tonnes of wood pulp were exported, 60 per cent of which to China. Exports of wood pulp decreased by three per cent compared with the year 2018. A total of 9.1 million tonnes of paper and paperboard was produced, of which a third was exported. Production was at the previous year’s level, with exports growing by one per cent. The main export products were newsprint and uncoated kraft paper and paperboard. As in the previous year, the main export countries were India, China and Kazakhstan.
The development of Russian forest industry production and export in 2009-2019:
Statistical sources: Rosstat, Russian Customs
Sari Karvinen, Luke