Russia Ups Forest-Product Exports 4% in Jan-Sept
Copyright 2000 Interfax News Agency
November 08, 2000, Wednesday
Russian exports of forest products rose 4% year-on-year to over$ 2.6 billion in the first nine months of 2000, according to preliminary figures.
Forest-product exports rose only slightly by volume, but world prices for some products increased, the forestry department at the Industry, Science and Technology Ministry told Interfax. Paper prices, in particular, have risen from$ 359 to$ 389 per tonne.
Exports of all types of paper products totaled$ 665 million, with the volume of exports rising 10% to 1.5 million tonnes. Exports of commodity grade cellulose and plywood totaled respectively$ 420 million and$ 180 million.
According to the department, forest-product exports by Russia's timber industrial complex ranked third after the fuel and energy industry and metallurgy.
In total, Russia's timber industry, according to data provided by the State Statistics Committee of Russia, produced 3.65 million tonnes of pulp in the first nine months of 2000 (up 22.5% on the same period a year ago), and also 2.45 million tonnes of paper (14.2%), 1.4 million tonnes of cardboard (24.6%), 1.12 million cubic meters of maple plywood (15.3%).
The forestry department predicts that the country's timber enterprises expect to process over 92 million cubic meters of timber in 2000, 10% more than the figure achieved a year ago.