Poland is now unmistakably giving priority to supporting its domestic wood processors. Government representatives stress that these changes will strengthen the Polish timber industry as a whole, protect jobs and put an end to the export of unprocessed timber abroad.
According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Poland has cut timber exports to China by roughly 50%, noting that this shift is stabilising the domestic market and giving local processors access to greater volumes of roundwood.
Polish wood exports to countries outside the European Union fell by 47% in the first three quarters of 2025, while exports to China dropped to 251,000 cubic metres, half as much as the previous year. Polish officials say this decline reflects deliberate reforms designed to give priority to domestic processing and to curb the removal of unprocessed wood from Poland.
Minister for Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska told the state television channel TVP Info that the forestry sector remains an important part of the Polish national economy: “Forestry accounts for 6% of Poland's gross domestic product,” adding that “any reduction in the supply of wood to the market should be carried out gradually”. The minister stressed that the government is restricting wood exports out of Poland, and to China in particular.
These reforms follow the restructuring of the State Forests carried out in 2024, which aims to strengthen the base of Poland's timber industry. The measures included giving preference to buyers located closer to the planned felling areas, reducing the weight of price criteria in tenders, and placing greater emphasis on deeper wood processing within the woodworking sector.
Witold Koss, Director General of Poland's State Forests, told the state news agency PAP that this policy shift has been timed deliberately: “The aim of the ban is to reduce the trade in the country's timber beyond the borders of the EU,” Additional measures have been introduced, including fewer annual sales rounds and audits to verify declared processing, as well as to deter speculative trading and ensure that timber stays within the Polish economy and carries greater added value. In a separate statement, Poland's State Forests stressed that the reforms have been designed “to curb exports of unprocessed wood from Poland to countries outside the European Union”.
Polish officials say the new strategy is already reshaping the market. Timber prices fell by 13.8% in 2024 and, adjusted for inflation, are now at their lowest level since 2018. Prices have remained stable throughout 2025, easing pressure on producers and helping to stabilise supply chains.
The Polish government has framed this policy as a long-term move away from the mass export of unprocessed wood, justifying the approach as follows: keeping a greater volume of wood within the country strengthens domestic manufacturing, supports employment and improves the flexibility of the national market.