Speaking at the Reuters Paper Summit conference in Helsinki, representatives of foreign paper manufacturing companies reported on the preparation for an increase of export due for timber, which is expected to be introduced by the Russian authorities from 2009.

As Stora Enso Executive Director General Yuko Karvinen said, the company has to cut its timber supplies from Russia by 40%, since the elevation of due up to USD 50 per a square meter will result in a two-fold rise of prices for the raw materials.

M-real Director General Mikko Helander also reported about a drop of Russian timber consumption. He said, that such elevation of dues is in fact a challenge for loggers and manufacturers of paper in countries like Finland and Sweden, which are strongly dependent on purchases of raw materials from Russia.