Following a rather subdued start in the first quarter, Russian birch plywood exports increased at a somewhat more significant rate again in the second quarter. At 745,380 m³, the previous year’s volume was exceeded by 15%, according to the preliminary figures of the Russian customs authority. Compared to the volume of 698,194 m³ exported in the first quarter, this represents an increase of 7%. At that time, exports to Germany (-9% to 54,640 m³), the Netherlands (-7% to 29,644 m³), Great Britain (-15% to 24,442 m³), Estonia (-19% to 21,458 m³) and Azerbaijan (-48% to 15,036 m³) had remained below the previous year’s figures. Exports to China had almost tripled to 21,293 m³, over-proportional increases had also been recorded in deliveries to the USA (+8% to 107,311 m³), Egypt (+6% to 78,709 m³), Poland (+10% to 30,734 m³) and Finland (+10% to 25,482 m³).
In the second quarter, deliveries to China declined again by almost 6,000 m³; compared to the same period of the previous year they fell by 31% to 15,356 m³. Similar decreases were reported for Azerbaijan (-30% to 18,074 m³). Exports to Egypt decreased by 9% to 80,909 m³; Belarus was 3% short of the previous year’s figure at 10,598 m³ (10,977 m³). All other relevant sales markets increased in comparison to the previous year; in most cases growth rates were in the double-digit range. The USA purchased 122,318 m³, an increase of 12%. Exports to Germany rose slightly by 3% to 59,985 m³. For Poland, an increase of 56% to 36,956 m³ was recorded. Deliveries to Great Britain actually more than doubled to 30,422 m³.
