As the Finnish forest giant Metsa Group followed the steps of UPM and Stora Enso and announced its complete withdrawal from the Russian market, it marked that the Finnish timber industry giant had completely withdrawn from its business layout in Russia.

Previously, Finland has been an important participant in the Russian forest industry and ranked among the top three importers of the Russian forest market. However, with a series of European sanctions against Russia, UPM and Stora Enso decided to withdraw from the Russian market in April and August 2023 respectively, and Metsa Group finally stopped all its operations in Russia in 2024. Business activities include the operation of the Svir sawmill, wood procurement and cardboard sales.

According to a statement from the Metsa Group, the group no longer holds any assets in Russia. However, this decision has undoubtedly exacerbated the tense situation of timber resources in Finland and the entire EU. Especially in 2023, Finland has become one of the countries most affected by Russian sanctions, and manufacturers in its southeastern region are highly dependent on Russian fiber supplies to produce paper and plywood products.

The Metsa Svir sawmill was once an important part of Finland's wood processing industry, with a sawwood production capacity of 280,000 cubic meters and a sawdust production capacity of 150,000 cubic meters. However, with the withdrawal of the Metsa Group, the outage of the sawmill has put great pressure on the timber resources of Finland and the EU. Ali Harlin, research professor at Finland's VTT Technology Research Center, noted: "We are already in a situation of severe wood shortages, especially in southeastern Finland." He further emphasized that wood supply has become a key challenge for the country's €33 billion industry. one.

Despite the challenges faced, Finland's forest industry has not given up exploring new development paths. In Finland and Sweden, the tradition of multi-sector integration has always existed, with large forest companies such as Metsa Group integrating pulp mills, paper mills, board mills, sawmills, etc. into an industrial ecosystem.

Metsa Group is developing the world's most advanced bioproduct factory, which is scheduled to open next year. The plant will utilize wood by-products to produce biodispersed plasticizers for concrete and gypsum, enabling efficient use and maximization of value from pulp production tributaries
Announcing the innovative move in March, MetsäFibre CEO Ismo Nousiainen said: “Our aim is to efficiently use the tributaries of pulp production and ensure that they generate the greatest possible added value. We want to achieve this by developing products made from renewable natural resources. New products made from resources can replace fossil raw materials and products and contribute to sustainable development.”

Obviously, this initiative not only demonstrates the resilience and innovative spirit of the Finnish forest industry, but also provides new ideas for the sustainable use of global timber resources.