U.S. imports of Russian plywood surged 42% month-over-month in February, reaching 11,300 cubic meters (almost 40,000 cubic feet), according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau and reported on by Wood Central. The U.S. remains one of Russia’s largest customers for plywood, an export directly tied to Putin-aligned oligarchs and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The one-month spike in Russian plywood imports contrasts with the 23% fall in volume last year. The U.S. remains the third largest importer of Russian plywood, behind Thailand and China.
Timber made up more than 50% of all trade between the U.S. and Russia until President Trump recently lifted sanctions on Russian oil in an attempt to stabilize global energy markets disrupted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
In 2024, the Decorative Hardwoods Association alerted the U.S. Trade Representative that although the U.S. imported $62 million of plywood directly from Russia, another $360 million entered the U.S. via Vietnamese and Indonesian facilities where Russian-grown birch is processed before it’s shipped to ports. Whether imported directly or through third-party manufacturers, Russian-grown plywood “helps support the Russian war effort,” the DHA warned.
Read the full report here.
