The rise in prices for lumber in Russia is associated with the coronavirus pandemic, said the head of the Federal Forestry Agency Ivan Sovetnikov. The closure of borders and restrictions within the regions led to the fact that people began to spend the money saved on construction and repairs, the head of the department said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
“The turnover of stores selling goods for renovation has grown four to five times during this time. Now the situation is improving, the prices for plywood and boards have already gone down, I think the situation will normalize by the end of winter, ”Sovetnikov said, adding that in the spring, due to the beginning of the summer cottage season, prices will rise again.
It is impossible to increase supply following demand, since “there is a maximum capacity of transport corridors”. In addition, the production possibilities and procurement capacities are not unlimited, the head of Rosleskhoz notes.
The department believes that the prices for lumber in the east of Russia will be lower than in the European part of the country. This is due to the entry into force of a ban on the export of “round timber”, due to which there will be an overload of processing, and the cost of raw materials will decrease.
In 2021, the authorities abandoned the idea of creating a single state corporation for the export of timber from the Far East with the exclusive right to export round timber. It was assumed that the state company would charge an agency fee for its services: 1% for low-quality timber and 25% for high-quality timber. The profit was supposed to go towards the modernization of timber processing.
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