Timber could trouble WTO entry
Further increase in Russian export duties on unprocessed timber and a failure to compromise on the issue could affect Russia’s prospects to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) warns the European Union Trade Commissioner.
Commissioner Peter Mandelson wrote a letter to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin on the issue this week. In the letter, Mandelson linked the issue of timber export duties to Russia’s negotiations on acceding to the WTO, saying that the EU was willing to make concessions for Russia on a number of WTO-related issues, but expected Russia to compromise on the timber issue. Russia’s timber duties have come under fire from EU-member Finland for a long time. Last May, Finland said its position on Russian WTO accession depended on reaching a compromise on timber export duties. Around 20% of timber processed in Finland is imported from Russia.
