As figures published by Roslesinforg show, Russia exported nearly 4.3 million m³ of lumber in the first three months of 2024 and came close to the level recorded in the same period of last year (4.43 million m³).
China remained by far the most important buyer. Even though its purchases decreased by 11% to 2.56 million m³, the country is still the undisputed number one market for Russian lumber. It is followed by Uzbekistan, another Asian country, which saw a much bigger year-on-year decrease, though (375,000 m³; -24%).
A clear upward trend can be seen in Turkey. Exports to the country more than tripled to a total of over 290,000 m³, making it the third most important buyer of Russian lumber.
Other Asian countries, such as Hongkong, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, follow in the ranking. Other developments that stand out are shipments to Japan, which remained stable at 90,000 m³ compared to last year, and the increase of Iranian lumber imports by as many as 72% to 165,000 m³.
| Volumes in 1,000 m³ | |||
| Country | Q1 2024 | Q1 2023 | Diff. in % |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2,564 | 2,884 | -11 |
| Uzbekistan | 375.6 | 493.5 | -24 |
| Turkey | 292.2 | 89.8 | 225 |
| Iran | 165.7 | 96.4 | 72 |
| Hongkong | 133.1 | 116.7* | 14 |
| Kazakhstan | 123.3 | 142.5 | -13 |
| Tajikistan | 105.4 | 117.6 | -10 |
| Japan | 89.7 | 86.1 | 4 |
| Azerbaijan | 66.6 | 123.6 | -46 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 59.7 | 69.6 | -14 |
| Other countries | 297.7 | 207.2 | 44 |
| Total | 4,273 | 4,427 | -3.5 |
