Aug 03, 2006. /Lesprom Network/. Production of furniture in Russia rose to $1.7 billion in 2005, ITTO reported. Russian furniture imports surged 20% to $1.3 billion while exports grew 10% to $220 million the same year. Domestic consumption reached $2.3 billion at factory prices in 2005. While during the 1990s the growth of the furniture sector in Russia was driven by the home furniture consumption, during 2000-2005 it was driven by office furniture. The office furniture market was about $900 million at retail prices in 2005, up 27% from 2004. The price increase in rubles was 14% in 2004 and 18% in 2005. The price increase in foreign currency (US dollar and euro) was stable at around 4% per year. Growth is expected to be seen outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg, particularly in Central Russia, Ural and Siberia. Russia imported around $111 million of office furniture during 2004 and $128 million in 2005. Office furniture came mainly from Italy (28%), Ukraine (13%) and Austria (12%), but also from Germany, China and Poland. The value of the imported furniture at retail prices was around $360 million (40% of the total consumption).