Sep 01, 2009. Russia will postpone the introduction of higher timber export duties by a year, to 2011, as the crisis has made it impossible to quickly build domestic processing facilities.
Russia may delay timber duties to 2011
Sep 01, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. Russia will postpone the introduction of higher timber export duties by a year, to 2011, as the crisis has made it impossible to quickly build domestic processing facilities, Reuters agency reported.
Russian newspaper Vedomosti business daily quoted government sources as saying the decision would be finalised in October and was aimed at protecting timber exporters during the crisis.
Russia had planned to raise export duties threefold from 2009 to boost its own timber processing industry, but delayed the move until 2010.
The delay helped ease tensions with the European Union as the rise was expected to hurt paper-making firms in EU members Finland and Sweden, such as Europe's top paper and board maker, Stora Enso, or magazine paper maker UPM-Kymmene.
