Additional checkpoints for the export of timber and modernization of existing ones

The export of Russian lumber is still one of the most acute problems of the domestic timber industry. This is due to the fact that production indicators are negatively affected by changes in sales markets and logistics, as well as a limited number of available checkpoints for the export of timber products.

The senators turned to the Government of the Russian Federation with a proposal to open new checkpoints on the border with Kazakhstan - in the Altai Territory, Omsk and Novosibirsk regions. The opening of additional checkpoints will make it possible to avoid social tension in the regions where timber industry enterprises have encountered a number of difficulties caused by overstocking of warehouses and suspension of production.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Victoria Abramchenko has already instructed the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, to consider the proposal of the senators.

Olga Kalyuzhnaya, President of the Russian Forest Association: “Due to the reduction in exports to Western countries, Russian timber merchants have reoriented to the east. In general, over the first three months of this year, the countries of Central and East Asia, as well as the Middle East, increased the volume of imports from the Russian Federation by 6.6% - up to 4.251 million cubic meters..

In addition to opening new checkpoints, it is planned to modernize existing ones to increase their throughput by a factor of two. For these purposes, the Ministry of Transport will allocate 95 billion rubles until 2026. — 25 billion rubles. in the current year and 35 billion rubles. in 2024-2025. In total, 84 border checkpoints will be modernized, which currently provide about 66% of the cargo turnover.