The European Union continues to purchase plywood from Russia and Belarus, despite the sanctions imposed. From July 2022 to October 2024, EU countries purchased 1.5 billion euros worth of plywood. This is stated in the Earthside investigation, writes LRT.
The authors claim that seven of the ten largest Russian exporters of birch plywood still supply it to the EU. The material is used in the manufacture of furniture, parquet, sports equipment and toys. Among the buyers are suppliers of Black Red White, the largest Polish furniture store chain, and Walltopia, a manufacturer of climbing walls. Plywood is produced in Russia and Belarus, after which it is issued as manufactured in other countries – for example, in China, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Turkey.
The largest importers of plywood are Poland, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. 22 containers of sanctioned goods are imported into the EU every day.
