Belarusian timber exports have reached an all-time high, Forestry Minister Alexander Kulik told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting on 24 August, BelTA has learned.
Alexander Kulik said that in June 2022, the Forestry Ministry restructured its work during the sanctions period. Before sanctions, 60,000 cubic meters of timber were exported per month. When sanctions were imposed in July 2022, exports fell slightly. But now timber exports have rebounded, reaching a record high of 77,000 cubic meters, the minister said.
Before the sanctions, EU countries were the main sales market for Belarusian timber, accounting for 56% of the country's timber exports. After the suspension of timber exports to the EU, the main consumer countries are China (52%, previously 37%), Azerbaijan (24%, previously 4%) and Russia (6%).
“We have captured this niche market and, most importantly, exports have grown both in volume and value. In seven months, we sold products worth $90.4 million,” says Aleksandr Kulik.