According to a report released by the Paper Stock Industries chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, based in Washington, U.S. exports of recovered paper and fiber experienced an 8 percent decline in the first quarter of 2023. The total volume reached 3.7 million metric tons, compared to the same period last year.
The report highlights that the strongest demand for U.S. recovered paper came from Thailand, which witnessed a significant increase of nearly 120 percent year over year, importing 747,105 metric tons in the first quarter of 2023. Thailand, previously the third-largest importer of U.S. recovered paper, has now become a key player in the market.
India, the largest importer of U.S. recovered paper in 2022, reduced its imports by 37 percent in the first quarter of this year, importing 684,417 metric tons compared to 1,089,404 metric tons in the first quarter of the previous year. This decline represents the steepest decrease among the top 10 importers of U.S. recovered paper.
In total, India imported 3,645,638 metric tons of U.S. recovered paper in 2022, surpassing Mexico, the second-largest importer, by more than a million metric tons.
Mexico ranked as the third-highest importer in the first quarter, although its imports decreased by approximately 6 percent compared to the same period last year. Mexico imported 533,285 metric tons of U.S. recovered paper in the first quarter of 2023.
Vietnam maintained its position as the fourth-largest importer of U.S. scrap paper exports, with 392,266 metric tons imported in the first quarter of this year, representing a 12.5 percent year-over-year decrease.
Among the top 10 importers, Thailand, Malaysia, and China were the only countries to increase their imports of U.S. recovered paper in the first quarter. Malaysia increased its purchases by 8 percent, importing 264,162 metric tons from January to March, while China saw an 11.2 percent increase, importing 200,608 metric tons during the same period.
Indonesia experienced the largest decline after India, reducing its imports by nearly 27 percent compared to the previous year. Taiwan (down 15.8 percent), Canada (down 14.2 percent), and South Korea (down 3 percent) also showed decreases in their year-over-year imports of U.S. recovered paper in the first quarter.
