German customs seize vessel carrying banned Russian timber heading for USA

Customs authorities in Germany have seized a vessel carrying some €40 million worth of Russian timber bound for the United States, after the ship was forced to dock at a German port for emergency repairs, according to an investigation by a UK-based environmental NGO, Earthsight.

The European Union and United Kingdom have banned imports of Russian timber as part of their respective sanctions measures, although the United States has not imposed a ban.

Earthsight says the 23,000-tonne Atlantic Navigator II was en-route from St Petersburg in Russia to the US east coast when it developed a fault and was forced to dock at Rostock port on the German Baltic coast earlier this month.

‘The vessel is one of a small fleet operated by a Canadian-owned shipping firm, Atlantic Ro-Ro Carriers (ARRC), which ply back and forth between Russia and the US, their cargoes almost entirely made up of Russian birch ply,’ the report said.

US import records analysed by Earthsight showed that the ship offloaded 9,399 cubic metres of ply at US ports in October 2023, and a further 5,876 cubic metres in December 2023.

‘The vessel halted at Rostock is believed to be carrying a similar quantity on this occasion. Such an amount of plywood, when sold at retail, is worth an estimated €40 million. Laid out, the plywood could cover an area as large as 200 football fields,’ Earthsight said, reporting that German authorities have placed a ‘hold’ on the ship.

It added, ‘ARRC’s lawyers argued that the vessel’s cargo should be exempt, because it only docked in Germany due to an emergency. German Customs have rejected that argument, and ARRC is now set to appeal.’