Mar 11, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. Starting Tuesday, March 11 Russia plans to eliminate many customs points for international raw timber transports. If implemented, the move means a dramatic drop in imported Russian timber to Finland, YLE informed. Russia has yet to reply to Finland's request to postpone the change from taking effect until the autumn. To date there have been 70 sites in use for customs declarations for timber, both in Russia and near the Russia-Finland border. On Tuesday, March 11 only about half of these sites will be in use. Finnish customs and forest industry officials say the decrease in customs points will have a strangling effect on the cost-effectiveness of importing timber to Finland. Timber transports would have to be radically re-routed.