At the moment, almost all wooden board manufacturers in Romania are closed. We stop for a month, we stop for two months. We cannot survive month to month, said the entrepreneur at a meeting with Minister of the Environment Tanchos Barna.

The entrepreneur stated that the price of wood in Romania is too high compared to other European countries. For this reason, Romanian producers are uncompetitive.

“We cannot sustain the furniture industry if we are completely uncompetitive,” he said.

At the moment, furniture comes to the market from Poland and other European countries, where the cost of production is much lower.

“The circular economy works. We now take leftover raw materials from everyone we work with. Everyone who makes furniture returns to us with leftover raw materials, sawdust, wood chips. We have developed a circular economy and we know what it means,” said an entrepreneur in the field of wooden boards.

• Currently, we are unable to deliver sufficient quantities of recycled materials to our factories. We are not competitive.

“We are making efforts to support the furniture industry, but the factories are stopped. At the moment, almost all wooden board manufacturers in Romania are closed. We stop for a month, we stop for two months. We cannot survive month to month,” the entrepreneur said.

• The fact that Romsilva has announced that it will bring more wood to the market is very important for those who make the board that is ultimately used in furniture. The tiles we produce are in every Romanian’s home, in every Romanian’s furniture.

• Consider these plates to store carbon dioxide. These are tiles with a positive impact on nature.

What is the problem with the price of wood

The Minister of Ecology noted that “the price is determined by the market, not by the Minister, but by the players participating in the auction. This is a direct open competition.”

In response, the entrepreneur clarified that, indeed, the market should be competitive, “but it is primarily about the starting prices from Romsilva. This is where competitive prices begin.”

• If I produce a wooden board in Romania that is 2-3 times more expensive than in Austria or Poland, we do not have a competitive advantage.

“If there is not enough wood in Romania, at least let me know. That’s it, we closed the factories,” the tile manufacturer also stated.

• When we are budgeting and forecasting and the rules of the game change so easily on September 1st, it is very difficult for us. I mean the Ordinance on Energy (OG 119/2022). It’s very difficult to adapt and make decisions about what we can do to be competitive.

Tanchos Barna noted that two years ago the starting prices were less than half as low.

“The market dictates the starting price. If the forest market does not sell at 2 times the original price, then it will no longer sell at that price and lowers the price. As long as there are quantities and prices created by the market, it is normal, fair and legal for these auctions to take place under such conditions,” said the Minister of Ecology.