Russia is ready to ban China from buying Russian forest
In the near future, Russia may introduce a ban on timber exports to China. This was stated by Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kobylkin, speaking in the Federation Council.
Now China is the main buyer of Russian forest. It is in the Middle Kingdom that the bulk of timber is exported. The possibilities of the Chinese market are almost endless and timber export really brings big incomes. So, in 2017, the trade between Russia and China in the forest sector amounted to 4,8 billion dollars, which is 23% more than in 2016.
But it’s no secret that real chaos is happening on the forest market in Russia. A huge amount of wood is exported to China "in black", without the necessary documents. In fact, the country has a powerful “black market” for wood, in which Chinese buyers play a key role. Forest illegally cut down in Russia is smuggled into China, again bypassing customs control. The fault is the corruption and criminalization of the forest sector.
Of course, such a situation should be resolved by the state and the sooner the better. Minister Kobylkin emphasized that now his department is already closely involved in solving the problems that have arisen. In particular, a dialogue is ongoing with Beijing. Some Chinese companies are ready to discuss the proposal of Moscow to create 10-20 seed-growing complexes in Russia, which would allow renewing forest reserves in the country.
Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, after listening to the minister, gave his department six months to rectify the situation. Let's see how this order will make Russian officials work.
Now China is the main buyer of Russian forest. It is in the Middle Kingdom that the bulk of timber is exported. The possibilities of the Chinese market are almost endless and timber export really brings big incomes. So, in 2017, the trade between Russia and China in the forest sector amounted to 4,8 billion dollars, which is 23% more than in 2016.
But it’s no secret that real chaos is happening on the forest market in Russia. A huge amount of wood is exported to China "in black", without the necessary documents. In fact, the country has a powerful “black market” for wood, in which Chinese buyers play a key role. Forest illegally cut down in Russia is smuggled into China, again bypassing customs control. The fault is the corruption and criminalization of the forest sector.
Of course, such a situation should be resolved by the state and the sooner the better. Minister Kobylkin emphasized that now his department is already closely involved in solving the problems that have arisen. In particular, a dialogue is ongoing with Beijing. Some Chinese companies are ready to discuss the proposal of Moscow to create 10-20 seed-growing complexes in Russia, which would allow renewing forest reserves in the country.
Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, after listening to the minister, gave his department six months to rectify the situation. Let's see how this order will make Russian officials work.
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