U.S. exports of recovered paper were down 18% to roughly 13 million mt for the full year of 2023 compared with 2022, and the value of those exports saw an even steeper decline, falling about 29% to $2.49 billion, according to ISRI, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. International Trade Commission.

By country, India ended the year as the top international buyer of U.S. recovered paper, importing approximately 2.5 million mt, though that total was down almost 31% from its 2022 imports—the largest decrease of any top-10 country.

Thailand—the No. 2 buyer—was one of only two top-10 countries whose tonnage increased last year, to roughly 2.3 million mt, up about 15.5% year-on-year. (Malaysia—the No. 5 buyer—was the other top-10 country whose imports of U.S. recovered paper increased last year, rising about 13% to 1.3 million mt.)

Mexico, meanwhile, ended the year as the No. 3 importing country at about 1.8 million mt, though its purchases slipped 23% year-on-year. And Vietnam claimed the No. 4 position at roughly 1.5 million mt, though its imports fell almost 19% from 2022.

Notably, U.S. recovered paper exports to China decreased almost 13% to 643,992 mt last year. Though China’s direct imports declined significantly in terms of quantity, some paper exports sent to surrounding Asian countries tend to find their way to China in one form or another, ISRI says. By value, U.S. exports of recovered paper to China plunged 45% year-on-year to just $153.6 million in 2023.

Top image by Jarosław Bialik and bottom image by dendoktoor, both from Pixabay.

Paper Stock Industries

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