European companies adjust wood strategies as Russian log costs increase
Russian
domestic sawnlog and pulpwood prices fell 20% in the 1Q 2008 as taxes
on softwood logs increased 20 to 25% of log value, ITTO reported. Since
Russian taxes and thereby the cost of logs are expected to increase
further, forest companies in Europe, the Nordic countries and the
Baltic states are revising their near and long-term strategies.
Softwood
log imports to Europe reached their peak in 2005 (10 million cubic
meters), with Finland maintaining the highest import status in Europe
and likely to be the most affected by the Russian tax increases.
