EU Extends Antidumping Tariffs on Imported Birch Plywood From Russia to Kazakhstan and Turkey

The European Commission recently (5-14-24) extended an anti-dumping measure on imports of birch plywood from Russia to imports from Kazakhstan and Turkey. The extension follows an investigation which concluded that EU anti-dumping duties on imports of birch plywood from Russia were being circumvented by imports transshipped from Russia to Kazakhstan and Turkey, or sent for final completion to these countries, preceding shipment of the finished product to the EU.

The Commission said that the extension of anti-dumping duties to Kazakhstan and Turkey is necessary to protect EU producers from unfair competition and to enforce trade defense measures in place since November 2021. This demonstrates that the Commission is committed to enforcing measures in place and to fighting unfair trade. It concerns imports suspected to be of Russian origin, but with declared Turkish or Kazakh origin, which could therefore still enter the EU market.

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. While not formally linked to the EU’s economic sanctions against Russia (the enforcement of sanctions is the responsibility of national customs authorities), the extension should help to combat prohibited Russian imports via other countries.

The Commission was alerted to the existence of circumvention practices by EU producers, who pointed to a significant increase of exports from Kazakhstan and Turkey 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.