Compared with the same period of last year, the trade of recycled paper in the same period of last year and that of the United States decreased. The main reason for the decline in exports was the decrease in raw materials flowing to China and India. The data show the overseas import restrictions imposed by Southeast Asian countries in the past year and the significant impact of covid-19. The number of recycled fibers is still more than twice of China’s export volume. This fact is crucial because China is widely expected to cut off all imports of recycled fiber in the coming months, which means a lot of fiber will be moved to new places.
In the first half of 2020, the United States exported 7.35 million short tons of recycled fiber, down 25% from 9.76 million short tons in the same period of 2019. As of June 2020, China has imported 2.33 million short tons of recycled fiber, a year-on-year decrease of 850000 short tons or 27%. In the first half of this year, India, the second largest export market of the United States, also significantly reduced its imports by 800000 tons or 44% year-on-year. Indian government officials have imposed stricter quality regulations on imported mixed paper in early 2020. India imported 1 million short tons of recycled fiber in the first half of 2020.
Another major change is that Indonesia has reduced the US recycled paper import from 676000 short tons in the first half of 2019 to 260000 short tons in the same period of this year. This decline is affected by the change of Indonesian paper import rules in June.
Post time: Aug-17-2020