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The European Commission officially approved the imposition of permanent import duties on birch plywood from Russia for a period of 5 years. Previously, tariffs on related varieties were temporarily levied, and the anti-dumping duties imposed on Russian plywood manufacturers were between 14.4% and -15.8%.

u3000u3000Russia is the main supplier of birch plywood in EU countries. In 2019 alone, the export volume of this product to the European market reached 1.082 million cubic meters. By 2020, the share of supply from Russia will increase from 46% in 2017 to 56%.

u3000u3000 The results of an independent investigation by the European Commission confirmed that:

u3000u3000 1. With the support of a multi-party government plan, Russian producers sold a large amount of birch plywood to the EU at dumping prices

u3000u30002. This allowed Russian export producers to reach an unprecedented 56% market share during the survey period.

u3000u30003. Although European consumption has increased during the same period, EU industries cannot enjoy the benefits of market expansion because of insufficient market share, and even if the market expands, production cannot be increased.

u3000u3000 Pavel Karnock, the first vice president of the Russian Forest Timber Industry Association, believes that if the European Commission imposes permanent tariffs, European consumers will have to face the rapid increase in the price of Russian plywood.

u3000u3000 The US market, which accounts for 15-17% of total Russian plywood sales, has shown a high growth rate this year: the 8 months of 2021 increased by 29% compared to the 8 months of 2020: up to 340,000 cubic meters. The Russian domestic market, the Middle East and North African countries, and the Chinese market can also increase purchases of Russian manufacturers.

u3000u3000 When the EU's anti-dumping duties on Russian birch plywood are settled, it is also the beginning of Russian plywood companies seeking more market breakthroughs.