"The State Forests supply wood mainly to the Polish market and are very interested in it remaining in the country and being processed in Poland," the message on the proposed changes states.
According to the State Forests' proposals, there should be amendments were made to the Law on Preservation of the National Character of the Country's Strategic Natural Resources and the Law on Competition and Protection of Consumer Rights. The applicants want to introduce for 3 years, i.e. in the period from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2028, a ban on the export of wood originating in Poland outside the territory of the member states of the European Union, member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - participants in the agreement The European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation. For violation of this ban, they demand punishment in the form of arrest, restriction of freedom or a fine of up to 5 million euros. According to foresters, such a change in the rules will help to change the situation, which is difficult for the forestry complex of Poland, and therefore for the economy of the entire country.
- Let's remember that the woodworking industry in Poland generates 2.5% of our GDP, therefore it (trees), especially in today's troubled times, is a strategic resource. We want to do everything possible so that it is not exported outside the European Union, - says Witold Koss, general director of State Forests.
Practically since the beginning of the 21st century, representatives of the woodworking industry have appealed to successive governments to recognize wood as a strategic raw material. Unfortunately, all the speeches have so far not brought any results, as well as the vast majority of other applications submitted by the industry to the changing ministers and prime ministers in the last decades.
– The introduction of these changes is in the interest of the Polish economy, and therefore, all of us. It is important that Polish wood remains in the country and that it is more profitable for Polish entrepreneurs to process it in Poland into finished products than to sell raw wood abroad - emphasizes Piotr Lewelski, president of the Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Wood Industry. . - If it were so, we estimate that the profit for our economy would be 12 times higher, he adds. 2.22-2.96 million tons of this raw material. To compensate for the deficit, Polish entrepreneurs have to buy wood abroad. At the same time, the export of roundwood has grown significantly in recent years. According to the data of the Main Statistical Office, 14.3 million tons of wood were sold abroad from Poland in 2019-2023. Most was exported to Germany - 5.3 million tons, and to the often mentioned China - 4 million tons of wood, i.e. 28% of exported raw materials. The remaining 5.1 million tons went to other countries - for example, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Sweden.
It should be recalled that a significant increase in the export of roundwood occurred after the 2017 hurricane. and is largely related to the provision by State Forestry of the so-called "purchase history" of companies that appeared on the timber market at that time. Such a decision was taken contrary to the opinion and arguments of the representatives of the forestry complex, who at that time predicted such a development of the situation.
Today, foresters note that currently the share of sales to foreign customers is only 0.03% of the income of PHL State Forests, and export of wood raw materials abroad is carried out by intermediaries. According to the law, they buy wood from State Forestry and then sell it to foreign customers. According to the current legal status, there are no legal grounds to prohibit them from doing so.
According to the representatives of entrepreneurs, an effective tool for limiting the export of raw wood from the country would be to change the rules for its sale by state forests. According to their proposals, during tenders, the principle should be introduced that when choosing a proposal, the influence of the price offered by the buyer should be significantly limited, and the role of other factors - for example, the place of processing - should be increased. Currently, such changes have not been taken into account by the State Forestry.
