Status and prospects of the Russian woodworking sector

The wood processing industry plays a special part in the Russian economy. The development of the industry has a great impact on the results of the related industries' activity (construction, agriculture, and trade), as well as on the standard of living by providing its products (furniture, works of wood, and biofuel) to meet the increasing demands of the society and creating additional jobs. The current forest reserves of the Russian Federation allow not only providing for the current and prospective internal needs of the country for lumber and the products of its processing, but also expanding the export of wood products considerably. At the same time, the role of the wood processing industry in the Russian economy is quite insubstantial, and the general level of processing wood raw materials is still low. The article presents the analysis of the volumes and dynamics of production of the main types of wood and paper-based products in the Russian Federation, as well as the data on the prices, export, and import of the main types of wood and paper-based products for the last few years. Based on the results of the analysis of the current status and the trends of the wood processing industry's development, the main problems that require being solved in the medium and long term have been identified. The factors that hinder the development of the wood processing industry are identified; the main measures of the state support that are currently provided to wood processing companies are reviewed. The measures to encourage the development of the Russian wood processing industry are proposed, as well as the main long-term trends of its development. The article concludes that, in case a correct approach is used, wood processing in Russia may generate enormous profits and become competitive in a global market. © 29th International Conference on Wood Science and Technology, ICWST 2018: Implementation of Wood Science in Woodworking Sector - Proceedings. All rights reserved.