‘I can do nothing’: Sanctioned Russian wood weighs on Baltic timber prices

Sanctioned timber from Russia and Belarus, routed through third countries and relabelled as new origin, is continuing to distort the European market, industry executives say, depressing prices for compliant producers. Eveli Opmann (in the photo below), chief executive of Estonian wood manufacturer Puidukoda, says material that is effectively Russian is still being offered at discounts of 20–30 per cent below prevailing market levels. “Who does it impact? The Russians are pushing the prices down and then the customer is asking what can you do about the price. I can do nothing,” she said. Timber products from ...