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17
Figure 13: Russian wood-based exports to China, Finland, Sweden
and South Korea in 2014
1,272
1,203
852
9,388
5,586
1,420
to FINLAND
to SWEDEN
to SOUTH KOREA
Million kg
Million USD
Russian Customs (in)
1,542
1,559
9,736
5,703
1,387
Roundwood
(HS code 4403)
Roundwood
(HS code 4403)
Sawn wood
(HS code 4407)
Pulp, paper
(HS codes 47-49)
Pulp, paper
(HS codes 47-49)
Chinese Customs (out)
Russian Customs (in)
Finnish Customs (out)
Russian Customs (in)
Swedish Customs (out)
557
29.8
62.9
Note: The 1.33 Euro to USD exchange rate decreased by 9.6% during 2014.
Note: The 0.147 SEK to USD exchange rate decreased by 15.3% during 2014.
543
31.8
6,290
60.2
46.9
60
85.7
333
137
162
67.3
784
671
6.3
0.31
18
0.07
44.7
3.1
0.5
6.8
0.6
Russian Customs (in)
17.6
69.3
110.4
84
155
165
South Korean Customs (out)
Roundwood
(HS code 4403)
Sawn wood
(HS code 4407)
Pulp, paper
(HS codes 47-49)
Roundwood
(HS code 4403)
Sawn wood
(HS code 4407)
Pulp, paper
(HS codes 47-49)
Graph by Manana Kurtubadze, GRID-Arendal, 2015.
Source: Customs data
894
6,566
Liquidators because "the USmarket and the Government do not
like Russia". Bribes must also be taken into account: according
to one Chinese businessman, documentation for illegally
harvested timber costs between US$ 3 and US$ 6 per m³.
45
A detailed comparison of official statistics from the Russian and
Chinese national customs services reveals discrepancies in the
value and amount of wood products exported from Russia and
imported to China (Figure 13): Chinese customs data
46
shows a
greater value for timber imports from Russia than was reported
by Russian customs.
47
The sum of the differences in declared
export/import values of wood and wood products was US$ 668
million; and a discrepancy of 432 million kg in the declared
amount of products.
To understand whether the kinds of discrepancies found in
Russian-Chinese trade are common elsewhere, it is necessary to
analyse timber exports to other major Russian trade partners.
As shown in Figure 13, Finnish customs data,
48
for example,
shows some losses in the value of timber imports from Russia
when compared to Russian customs reports. By contrast,
Swedish customs data for 2014
49
shows a substantially
greater value of timber imports from Russia than was reported
by Russian customs. South Korean customs data
50
shows
significant losses in the value and the amount of roundwood
imported from Russia during 2014.