Birch plywood continues to enter Europe from Turkey in 2026, keeping a route previously used to circumvent duties on Russian products under scrutiny. European manufacturers have warned that redirected supplies cost them sales and weaken prices, even after the EU extended its anti-dumping measures to Turkey and Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n
The concern has been expressed publicly by producers and the Woodstock Consortium, which brought evidence of circumvention to the European Commission. In March 2024, the consortium said the practices were costing European industry \u201cdaily in terms of lost sales volume and income\u201d.<\/p>\n
Latvijas Finieris has also warned about the effect of Russian and Belarusian products reaching Europe at unusually low prices.
\n\u201cAll this significantly undermines the competitiveness of European plywood manufacturers,\u201d M\u0101rti\u0146\u0161 L\u0101cis, a member of the company\u2019s Executive Board, said in a published interview. He identified sanctions evasion and price dumping as major concerns, alongside weaker demand and competition from substitute materials.<\/p>\n
Turkish production could not explain the shipments<\/strong><\/p>\n The mismatch between Turkish production and exports helped expose the route. During its investigation, the Commission estimated Turkey\u2019s birch plywood output at 17,000\u201320,000 m\u00b3 in the reporting period. EU imports from Turkey exceeded that production, leading investigators to conclude that the shipments could not consist entirely of Turkish-origin plywood.<\/p>\n The investigation uncovered Russian plywood being re-exported through intermediaries, sometimes mixed with locally manufactured products. It also found processing operations using Russian inputs that met the legal criteria for circumvention.<\/p>\n In May 2024, the EU extended the 15.8% anti-dumping duty to covered birch plywood consigned from Turkey and Kazakhstan, regardless of the origin declared in customs documents.<\/p>\n The measure closed an identified loophole, but producers have continued to raise questions about other routes. In March 2024, L\u0101cis said Latvijas Finieris was monitoring countries beyond Turkey and Kazakhstan and encouraged its partners to do the same.<\/p>\n Koskisen says Russian plywood still reaches Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n Koskisen subsequently confirmed that Russian material remained present in the market.<\/p>\n \u201cRussian plywood is still being imported into Europe through several different channels,\u201d the Finnish producer said in an investor Q&A.<\/p>\n The company said import volumes had been reduced to some extent, but Russian plywood still held a significant position in parts of Europe. It also stated that these imports had not had a major impact on its own plywood sales, distinguishing the wider market problem from its company performance.<\/p>\n The statements show that producers\u2019 concerns extend beyond Turkish shipments alone. The Woodstock Consortium has urged EU institutions and national authorities to monitor alternative routes and use available enforcement measures against restricted Russian wood.<\/p>\n Anti-dumping duties and sanctions serve separate purposes. Russian birch plywood imports have been prohibited since July 2022, and paying a duty does not make prohibited Russian-origin goods admissible. National customs authorities remain responsible for enforcing those sanctions.<\/p>\n November deadline brings duties back into focus<\/strong><\/p>\n The original anti-dumping measures are approaching their scheduled expiry. A Commission notice published in February lists 10 November 2026 as the expiry date unless a review is initiated. If a review begins, the duties remain in force during the investigation.<\/p>\n For European producers, the issue is whether those measures remain effective against supplies entering through third countries. Imports from Turkey continuing this year keep the route relevant, but do not establish that every shipment is Russian or illegal.<\/p>\n The documented concern is lost business from circumvention and continued Russian supplies in parts of the European market. A guaranteed extension of duties or a specific plywood price forecast for next year has not been established.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Birch plywood continues to enter Europe from Turkey in 2026, keeping a route previously used to circumvent duties on Russian products under scrutiny. European manufacturers have warned that redirected supplies cost them sales and weaken prices, even after the EU … Continue reading