Belarus increases exports of softwood lumber by 54%

In the third quarter Belarusian sawmills exported 594,082m³ of rough-sawn and planed softwood lumber at a value of US$68.9m. In terms of volume and value this corresponds to an increase of 54% and 65% respectively vis à vis the comparative quarter of the preceding year. The notional value per exported cubic metre of softwood lumber, at US$116/m³, was 7% higher.

According to Belstat, deliveries to EU countries increased by 45% to 514,427m³ between July and September. Due to the below-average increase, however, as a proportion of Belarusian exports as a whole this constitutes a decline by five percentage points to 87%. Deliveries to GIS states, albeit it from a comparatively low starting level, increased by 148% to 69,350m³.

Accumulated over the first nine months, exports increased by 56% to 1.62m m³, corresponding to an export value of US$181.4m. Deliveries to EU countries increased by 45% to 31.42m m³. Deliveries to the GIS states tripled to 168,100m³ (50,000m³).