Western markets turned out to be inaccessible for Russian lumber producers after the introduction of sanctions against Russia. Russian lumber exporters were unable to redirect exports from European markets to Asian ones.
Russia reduced lumber exports by 25% to 22 million m3 in 2022. The export value fell by 18% to $5 billion. This volume does not include exports to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia, which accounted for about 1 million m3 of lumber exports from Russia in 2021.
In 2022, China, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Japan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Tajikistan, South Korea, Finland, Germany reduced purchases of Russian lumber, all these countries together imported more than 20 million m3 of lumber.
China reduced the purchase of lumber from Russia by 10% to 14 million m3 last year. However, the import value increased by 11% and exceeded $3 billion. Russian exporters were unable to increase lumber supply to other East Asian markets - Japan and South Korea. Exports to Japan decreased by 30% to 686 thousand m3, and export value fell by 28% to $300 million. Exports to South Korea decreased by 27% in volume and by 27% in value, to 386 thousand m3 and $108 million respectively.
Lumber exports from Russia to Europe were carried out until July 10, 2022. A complete ban on the purchase of Russian lumber by EU countries started from this date. The ban was introduced as part of the fifth package of sanctions. Huge export reduction was recorded in all major European markets at the end of the year. Thus, lumber shipments to Estonia fell by 51% to 509 thousand m3, and export value decreased by 54% to almost $145 million. Lumber exports to Finland decreased by 51% to 281 thousand m3, in monetary terms - 53% decrease to $71 million. Exports to Germany fell by 64% and amounted to 280,000 m3, export value decreased by 60% to $110 million. The volume of Russian lumber exports to Azerbaijan decreased by 36% to 659 thousand m3 for the amount of $113 million (-8%).
Like a year ago, Uzbekistan was the largest consumer of Russian lumber in Central Asia. Russian companies exported more than 2 million m3 (-5%) of lumber with value more than $422 million (33%) to Uzbekistan in 2022. Lumber exports to Tajikistan decreased by 2% to 485 thousand m3 while value increased by 49% to $93 million.
At the same time Russia increased lumber exports to Turkey by 45%, up to 120 thousand m3 in 2022. The export value increased by 51% to $29 million.
