On 14 May, the European Commission extended anti-dumping measures on imports of birch plywood from Russia to imports from Kazakhstan and Türkiye.
Birch plywood products comprise sheets of wood, and are mainly used in the construction, packaging and furniture sectors. Russian producers are trying to find alternative channels to sell their goods, particularly since July 2022, when imports of birch plywood from Russia were banned following the February 2022 start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
The extension follows an investigation which concluded that EU anti-dumping duties on imports of birch plywood from Russia were being circumvented by imports transhipped from Russia to Kazakhstan and Türkiye, or sent for final completion to these countries, preceding shipment of the finished product to the EU.
The Commission was alerted to the existence of circumvention practices by EU producers, who pointed to a significant increase of exports from Kazakhstan and Türkiye since the anti-dumping measures against Russia were imposed. The Commission’s investigation found that there was no economic justification for this change in the pattern of trade other than the circumvention of anti-dumping duties.
