Analysis of the Russian woodworking industry market

Woodworking in Russia has not decreased in recent years, the demand for construction and finishing materials made of wood is growing. The wood waste processing sector is also developing: wood chips and sawdust recycling technologies are being introduced at the plants, the number of companies producing fuel briquettes and pellets is increasing. All these processes require equipment. So why is the volume of imports of woodworking equipment decreasing? The high volatility of the Russian ruble directly affects the activity of trade turnover with foreign suppliers. During periods of currency surges, imported machines become too expensive for Russian woodworkers, even Chinese products are no exception. The most serious collapses of the ruble were noted at the end of 2014, in the summer of 2015, in the winter of 2016, and in the fall of 2018. The next increase in exchange rates in the summer-autumn of 2020 will inevitably affect purchases of foreign machines. The deterioration of Russia's political relations with many European countries after the Ukrainian events of 2013–2014 and the constant strengthening of economic sanctions limit trade cooperation. Despite the possible benefits, some Western suppliers are breaking contracts with Russian buyers. After 2014, the supply of equipment from Germany, Italy, Austria, Sweden and Turkey significantly decreased, while the share of China began to grow rapidly. Political and currency problems contributed to the intensification of import substitution. If imports are declining for economic and political reasons that are seen as long-term, the industry must compensate for the resulting deficit. And in recent years, the domestic production of woodworking machines has gradually begun to recover. Although the recovery is not going as fast as we would like, and the closure and bankruptcy of manufacturing companies does not stop, the dynamics can still be called positive. Domestic production will probably continue to grow. The import structure has also changed. In recent years, it has mainly been sawing equipment. There are no strong changes in the structure of imports by type of machine tools, although their percentage varies from year to year, and in different ways.