About Our Organization
The Paper Distributors Association (PDA) was founded in August, 1998. Today the Association comprises 9 companies – distributors of paper all over Russia. These are the following: Double V Group of Companies, Europapier, Komus-PSBK, MM Karton Russia (an official representative of Mayr-Melnhof Karton in Russia), Metsä Board, UPM, Sappi Europe S.A., Fidelity, Mondi.
The Paper Distributors Association had been a member of the EUGROPA confederation (EUropaischer Verband fur GROsshandler in PApier) from 2001.
Our Mission
To join the efforts of major Russian paper and board wholesalers for the creation of a domestic printing materials market comparable in service quality and product range with the level of the world market.
Our Sphere of Activities
The Paper Distributors Association supports the SBO-PAPER.RU Internet project on information and research which today produces a considerable volume of data on the industry. We have been monitoring the pulp and paper markets (Russian, CIS, European and Global) for fifteen years.
Our field of interest comprises M&As, shut down and closure of enterprises, capacities curtailment, launching new projects and products, pricing policies, changes in customs procedures and legislation. In our work we make use of companies’ press releases, customs statistics, decisions and documents of the Russian Government. We also maintain our own statistics on actual consumption of different types of paper and press products and on printing capacities in Russia, etc.
The Paper Distributors Association enjoys the status of the leading expert in the industry: we render our advisory opinion to the Government of the RF, Federal Ministries, co-operating industrial associations and national mass media on the issues related to the situation and changes in the paper and printing market.
In 2005 the Paper Distributors Association initiated the issue of scaling down the duties on import of coated papers into Russia. In the course of four years we prepared all documentation and economic justifications, worked with officials and held a lot of consultations and meetings with the Government.
In 2010 Russia formed a customs union with the Belarus and Kazakhstan Republics. We held consultations with the members of the Customs Union and 26 February 2010, the Commission of the said Union adopted a joint decision approving the duty reduction down to 5%.
We believe that in the light of the recently established Customs Union together with scaling down of the import duties on coated paper from 15% to 5%, and formation of a single economic space among countries, the paper and print market of Russia and CIS will now become even more attractive for global manufacturers.
At the same time we think there is some informational vacuum with regard to the actual situation in Russia.
Proposals on Partnership and Co-operation
On the basis of our knowledge of the industry and the experience gained we offer to international research co-operation with the information exchange. You have an opportunity to obtain more quality information on the Russia and CIS pulp, paper and printing markets.
One of our proposals is as follows:
We are sincerely open for any proposals and ideas and would be happy to learn what the interests and concerns in Russia and CIS are.
Faithfully Yours, Paper Distributors Association of Russia
Vasily Senatorov
President
Olga Shirokova
Executive Director
Tel.: (495) 725-0888, ext. 1113
Fax: (495) 725-0891
E-mail: 
Ekaterina Kirichenko
Editor-in-Chief of sbo-paper.ru project
E-mail: