Polish customs blocks, Ukrainian authorities remain silent, woodworkers sound the alarm
26 March 14:07
Polish customs authorities are blocking the passage of trucks transporting products of Ukrainian woodworkers without explanation. This was stated by the European Business Association (EBA), "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the Association, the relevant reports come from EBA member companies.
What is happening at Polish customs
According to preliminary information, the Polish side is stopping cargoes to verify the origin of raw materials used by Ukrainian producers, in particular, compliance with the sanctions regime. At the same time, no specific claims regarding the non-compliance of documents or violations have been provided by the Polish customs authorities to the EBA Woodworking and Furniture Committee member companies.
At the request of the Polish customs authorities, domestic enterprises provide the entire package of documents required for customs clearance, as well as contracts for the supply of raw materials with branches of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine”, invoices for the supply of raw materials, logging tickets, certificates of origin and other necessary documents confirming the legality and transparency of their activities, as well as proving the absence of the use of raw materials of Russian or Belarusian origin.
However, as of today, cargoes continue to be detained and blocked. As a result, companies are forced to pay additional costs for downtime and change the existing logistics chain.
Business is waiting for the government to respond
The European Business Association appeals to the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Economy to help find out the reasons for the blockade and find ways to solve this problem.
The business representatives point out that the current situation poses serious threats to the woodworking industry of Ukraine, as prolonged blocking of cargo can lead to a shutdown of production, loss of export contracts, massive layoffs, and a shortfall in tax revenues to the budget of all levels.
The EBA reminds that the domestic woodworking business is almost entirely export-oriented, and the blockade leads to direct losses of foreign exchange earnings, which causes millions of dollars in losses to both companies and the state budget of Ukraine.
The Association of Woodworking Enterprises confirms the blockade
As Pavlo Vasyliev, the head of the Association of Woodworking Enterprises of Ukraine, previously told the EP, the association was informed about the impossibility of transporting their products across the border by Uniplyt LLC, ODEK Ukraine LLC, and Woodland Ukraine LLC.
The EBA also draws attention to the fact that the European Commission has previously emphasized the growing number of cases of circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus, in particular in the context of imports of plywood, especially birch plywood, which remains a key export commodity for both countries. The European customs authorities have already launched an investigation into possible abuses in the supply of plywood, in particular due to suspicions of customs fraud.
In this context, the Association also mentions the tense situation with Ukrainian plywood on the border with Poland, where on March 15, Polish customs officers began stopping trucks with Ukrainian plywood products without official explanations for the detention.
The Association of Woodworkers and Loggers of Ukraine reported that it has already sent inquiries to the governments of Ukraine and Poland, as well as to the Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Woodworking Industry, asking them to clarify the situation and restore a transparent transit and trade regime.
Ukrainian woodworkers have big plans for this year
According to the results of exchange trading for delivery in the second quarter of 2025, woodworking companies have contracted 94% of business wood, which is a record figure. This was reported by Oleksandr Zhuk, Director of the Forest Resources Department at the state enterprise Forests of Ukraine, in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine.
According to the official, the harvesting plan for 2025 was 12.5 million cubic meters of wood, but given the high demand, the Forests of Ukraine is ready to significantly increase harvesting.
As reported with reference to the head of the State Agency of Forest Resources, Viktor Smal, the forestry industry of Ukraine received a record UAH 23.7 billion in net revenues from sales in 2024, with a net profit of UAH 2.5 billion. The amount of taxes paid to the state budget amounted to UAH 9.3 billion.
