Ilim Group celebrated 30 years of work in the Chinese market

Ilim Group celebrated 30 years of work in the Chinese market

    The Ilim Group, one of the leaders of the Russian timber industry, celebrated its 30th anniversary in the Chinese market. On April 16, 2026, a solemn event was held in Beijing for partners, clients and representatives of the business circles of the two countries. Over the past three decades, the company has not only built a successful business, but also created a solid foundation for further development of cooperation with China, a key foreign market for the Russian pulp and paper industry.

30 years of trust: facts and figures

    The Ilim Group has summed up the impressive results of its presence in the Chinese market. According to the company, in 2025, shipments to China amounted to about 2.3 million tons, which is 60% of the company's total production.

Key indicators of Ilim's presence in China:

•     - Cooperation with more than 500 consumer factories in 20 regions of China.
•     - It is one of the top 7 global manufacturers of key pulp and paper industry (CBP) products.
• - 30 years of continuous work in the Chinese market.
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"I thank our partners for 30 years of trust and joint progress. Over the years, we have not only built a successful business, but also created a reliable foundation for the development of our cooperation. Today, based on our accumulated experience and support, we are ready for new challenges and ambitious tasks in our key market — we continue to grow together with China" — Alexey Lomko, CEO of Ilim Group

Adapting to market changes: new offices and standardization

    At the turn of 2024-2025, in the face of increased competition in the Chinese market, Ilim adapted its approaches to work. The regional presence was reorganized:

•     - Opening an office in Shanghai to interact with cardboard consumers in the eastern and southeastern regions of China.
•     - The Beijing office specializes in pulp sales.
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To improve the efficiency of sales processes, the SKA (Skills, Knowledge, Attitudes) project was launched, aimed at:

•     - Standardization of sales processes.
•     - Professional development of the staff of the Beijing, Shanghai and central offices in St. Petersburg.
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Service and logistics development: four warehouses and delivery to the gate

    In 2025, the company took a significant step in developing its service for Chinese customers by establishing four intermediate warehouses in the eastern and southeastern regions of China.

Advantages of the new logistics infrastructure:

•     - End users can receive products within a few days of the order.
•     - Warehouses are equipped with equipment for rapid reformatting of rolls to the required sizes.
•     - The company has started providing product delivery to the gates of the client's enterprise.
•     - The technical support unit has been strengthened.

    These measures are aimed at increasing the speed and flexibility of supplies, which is a critical factor in the competitive environment in the Chinese market.

New products: from raw materials to ready-made solutions

    Ilim consistently implements a strategy to increase the depth of processing and move from selling raw materials to offering ready-made solutions.

•     - The company offers Chinese factories not only raw materials, but also ready-made packaging solutions.
•     - Customization of products for specific customer requirements has been launched.
•     - The new BelBear pulp brand ("White Bear") has been developed taking into account the specific requirements of Chinese customers.
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Key performance indicators of Ilim in China:

Participants of the event

    The solemn event on April 16 in Beijing was attended by:

•     - Representatives of the business circles of China and Russia.
•     - Heads of the authorities of the two countries.
•     - Partners and clients of the Ilim Group.
•     - Representatives of industry associations.

    The wide range of participants underlines the high status of the company and the importance of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the timber industry.

Importance for the Russian timber industry

    The 30th anniversary of Ilim in the Chinese market is not just a corporate date, but an important signal for the entire Russian forestry industry.:

1. - China remains a key market for Russian LPC: 60% of Ilim production goes to China. For comparison, in 2025, the total volume of lumber exports from Russia to China amounted to about 13.4 million cubic meters.
2. - Investments in logistics and service pay off: The creation of local warehouses and delivery to the customer's gate are the standards that all Russian exporters operating in competitive markets should strive for.
3. - Customization and deep processing are the way to increase margins: Offering not just raw materials, but ready—made solutions and products adapted to the needs of the customer allows you to avoid price competition.
4. - Long-term presence creates trust: 30 years of work is a weighty argument for Chinese partners who value stability and reliability.
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The prospects

    The Ilim Group intends to continue to develop cooperation with Chinese partners, increase supply volumes and expand the product range. The company is ready for new challenges and ambitious tasks in its key market.

    For the Russian timber industry, Ilim's experience is an example of a successful export strategy based on long-term planning, adaptation to market needs, and continuous improvement in service quality. In the context of the reorientation of export flows from the West to the East, this experience is becoming especially valuable.

Tags: #group_ilim #pulp and paper_industry #China #export #30_let #logistics #customization #BelBear #Russian-Chinese cooperation