The situation is already very difficult for wood imports from the countries currently involved in the ongoing war Russia, Belarus and Ukraine: The EU has imposed an import ban on Belarus, imports have been banned since March 2nd, 2022, and goods that are already under contract must be returned by March 2nd, 2022 at the latest 04.06.2022 in the single market.<\/p>\n
At its last meeting, the Board of Directors of the German Timber Trade Association (GD Holz) sharply condemned the war in Ukraine.\u00a0All those involved are called upon to stop the war immediately and to conduct negotiations with the aim of finding a quick and peaceful solution.<\/p>\n
Importing wood is practically no longer possible<\/strong><\/p>\n It is currently not possible to import wood from the Ukraine, since due to the state of war practically all official activities have been suspended, so there are no export controls. The possibilities for importing from Russia are becoming increasingly difficult, reports GD Holz. On the one hand, this is due to the exclusion of many banks from the SWIFT system, which enables international payments. The other reason is that FSC and PEFC have classified all timber from Russia and Belarus as conflict timber and this means that it can no longer be imported into the EU as certified timber. Without valid certificates, importing from both countries is practically impossible.<\/p>\n According to the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), anyone who imports wood into the EU must minimize the risk that the imported wood comes from illegal sources. Given the high level of corruption in Russia and Belarus, this is only possible with valid certificates. This is the assessment of the German Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE), which monitors compliance with the EUTR regulations in Germany, and the FLEGT Committee of the EU Commission. Imports from Russia are in principle possible. On the other hand, it is practically impossible to reduce the risk of illegal wood origin to a negligible level.<\/p>\n Oak is getting even scarcer<\/strong><\/p>\n All three states are important suppliers, especially for softwood lumber, birch plywood, but also hardwood. Approximately 10% of the European softwood timber consumption comes from Russia, the imports to Germany from all three countries amounted to approx. 1.4 million m 3 last year . In addition, Russia is one of the most important producers of birch plywood.<\/p>\n Significant quantities of oak wood come from Belarus and the Ukraine. The European umbrella organizations of the sawmill and timber industry EOS and CEI-Bois had already pointed out the impending shortage of oak in particular. This prospect should fuel the already rapid price development for oak.<\/p>\n The import and the processing of the concluded contracts currently mean a great deal of uncertainty, in particular the supply chains and transport are often difficult and unpredictable. Scarce availability for all three product areas can be expected or is already a reality.<\/p>\n Building with wood will probably become more expensive<\/strong><\/p>\n This situation meets a receptive market, the sales development in the months of January and February is rated as good by the GD Holz board. Demand in the trades is very good, and other buyers are also making lively inquiries.<\/p>\n The GD Holz Board is also concerned about the price development of many products, further caused by the sharp rise in energy prices. The GD Holz board member fears that this could lead to a significant increase in costs for builders when building with wood.<\/p>\n A quick end to the war has priority<\/strong><\/p>\n Furthermore, the association emphasizes that despite all the importance of timber imports from these countries for Germany and the domestic market, a quick and peaceful end to the war has absolute priority.<\/p>\n The companies strictly adhere to the guidelines of the EU Commission and the Federal Government regarding decisions on restrictions or bans on imports from the participating countries.<\/p>\n Only an end to the war as quickly as possible could help to relax the procurement markets for wood and wood products and make the necessary contribution to meeting demand.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The situation is already very difficult for wood imports from the countries currently involved in the ongoing war Russia, Belarus and Ukraine: The EU has imposed an import ban on Belarus, imports have been banned since March 2nd, 2022, and … Continue reading