Ukraine to extent ban on unprocessed wood exports into 2026 - economy minister

MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax) - A decision to extend the zero quota for unprocessed wood exports into 2026 aimed to supply raw materials to Ukrainian processing companies was made at a meeting chaired by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko on December 17, Ukrainian media said, citing Economy Minister Alexei Sobolev.

Conditions need to be created for "an urgent increase in logging," the media quoted his statement on a social network.

Forests of Ukraine Group was tasked with immediately raising the efficiency of operations and increasing logging and wood supply to the market, Sobolev said.

Another task set is the adoption of a bill to implement the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR).

As reported, the Ukrainian government extended the ban on unprocessed wood exports until the end of this year in late October 2025 in the form of a zero export duty, after the ten-year moratorium, imposed by a law since November 1, 2015, expired.

State Forest Resources Agency Chairman Viktor Smal said earlier that the moratorium on exports of all kinds of unprocessed wood but pine, enforced by the law in 2015, expired on November 1, 2025 (the ten-year moratorium on exports of unprocessed pine exports was introduced on January 1, 2017).

An extension of the moratorium during martial law and for ten years after it is envisaged by the timber market bill, currently prepared for the first reading, Smal said.

As reported, in January-August 2025, Ukraine exported $1,131.3 million worth of wood and timber products, an increase of 15.5% compared to January-August 2024. During the same period, $160.5 million worth of wood and timber products were imported, an increase of 8.8% compared to January-August 2024.

Exports of wood pulp or other fibrous cellulose materials totaled $186.2 million (a 19.1% increase from January-August 2024), while imports stood at $594.3 million (a 1.7% decrease from January-August 2024).