BANJALUKA – The Government of Republika Srpska asked the Council of Ministers of BiH to ban the export of forest wood assortments and energy products for 90 days with the aim of developing the domestic wood processing industry.
Today, the government adopted the Information on the need to introduce a temporary ban on the export of logs and wood-based energy products from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is about assortments and energy products based on wood marked with tariff numbers 4401 and 4403, as well as sub-numbers, according to the Decision on determining the customs tariff for the year 2022, which was announced by the Bureau of Public Relations of the Government of Srpska.
“With the recovery of the wood industry after the negative consequences caused by the coronavirus pandemic in Srpska, an additional increase in the demand for wood products on the international market has been registered, and it is necessary that all available raw materials from public and private forests be made available to domestic wood processors“, it is written in the announcement.
It is added that a special problem on the market arose as a result of the international energy supply crisis due to the conflict in Ukraine, which led to an enormous demand and export of wood as an energy source, and a significant increase in prices on the domestic and international markets, as a result of which there was a shortage of energy sources (fuel wood, pellets and briquettes) for the needs of supplying the population in Srpska.
“In this regard, and with the aim of improving the development of the wood industry, preventing shortages and protecting domestic consumers in terms of the supply of wood-based energy sources, the Council of Ministers of BiH is referred to the initiative to adopt a temporary measure banning the export of forest wood assortments and wood-based energy sources from BiH for a period of up to 90 days“, the announcement states.
We remind you that CAPITAL recently wrote that, with the support of their country, the Chinese massively buy thousands of cubic meters of logs in BiH and create unfair competition with domestic wood processors. At the same time, representatives of the authorities in BiH reject proposals to ban exports.
After the Government of RS once again sent a proposal for a ban, domestic producers expressed the hope that the Council of Ministers would listen more this time and make a decision that would benefit the growing economy.