“Latvijas Finieris” supports the additional tariffs that the European Union (EU) is applying to consignments routed through Kazakhstan and Turkey in order to prevent the evasion of duties on Russian birch plywood.
Regulation No 2024/1287 [1], published in the Official Journal of the EU on 13 May, extends the anti-dumping duty to imports of birch plywood from Kazakhstan and Turkey. It will enter into force immediately and with retroactive effect, following an urgent EU investigation which confirmed that the EU measures on these products are being circumvented on a significant scale via both countries. The duties have been set at 15.8% of the import value from both countries. The duty will apply to imports registered from the start of the investigation in August 2023.
As a member of Woodstock, “Latvijas Finieris” worked together with EU industry leaders and associations to provide compelling evidence of circumvention, which prompted the opening of the investigation back in August 2023. The result is the regulation adopted today against the first two countries covered by the investigation. Neither had previously been known as a significant exporter of this type of plywood.
The swift introduction of these measures sends a strong signal that the EU is united not only in upholding fair trade, but also in preventing the unlawful circumvention of restrictions on conflict timber, which is now subject to sanctions.
Mārtiņš Lācis, member of the board of “Latvijas Finieris”
“I am confident that the facts established will spur joint enforcement initiatives involving national authorities and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), drawing attention to possible customs fraud, non-compliance with the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) and the wider circumvention of sanctions. Such further investigations and inspections could result in additional sanctions for the businesses involved, including importers, traders and some end users in the EU. Those taking part in such activities face serious consequences and liability under a range of legal frameworks, including the criminal law of several EU countries. As a company, we will continue to monitor the market for any new cases of circumvention of EU rules.”
[1] Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1287 of 13 May 2024 extending the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1930 on imports of birch plywood originating in Russia to imports of birch plywood consigned from Turkey and Kazakhstan, whether declared as originating in Turkey and Kazakhstan or not, available at:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL_202401287&qid=1715664950981