Russia is not considering a complete ban on timber exports to China. This information told the Head of Federal Forestry Agency of Russia (Rosleskhoz) Ivan Valentine on Friday.

Earlier it was reported that Russia may temporarily limit timber exports to China due to problems of reforestation and "black felling".

"The topic of export restrictions to the People's Republic of China has never been established in the sense of the ban on exports, this topic was considered only in the light of the establishment of other measures of customs and tariff regulation. That is, duties on round timber had to be raised, respectively, to facilitate on the contrary, or to make it more profitable to export products of deep processing of wood, " he said.

According to Valentik, it is necessary to carry out serious work on how timber exports to China are carried out today. Today, for example, under a single customs code, the export of both rough timber and deep-processed timber is carried out. This is used by unscrupulous entrepreneurs, "who no longer export roundwood to China, but on many grounds, this wood does not have deep processing and serious added value, which would remain in the Russian Federation in the form of taxes, salaries and other sources of income," he said.

According to the Head of Rosleskhoz, the problem of timber supplies to China is somewhat exaggerated. He noted that trade and economic cooperation with China will continue. At the same time, the Agency will carry out explanatory work - "to tell Chinese entrepreneurs about how to do business in Russia."

At the end of 2018, Russia has achieved record figures for timber harvesting in the amount of 228 million cubic meters, added Valentik. At the same time, no more than 20 million cubic meters were exported to China in a round form. "At the same time, the share of production of high added value products by the main types of forest paper products is growing," the Head of the Department added.