UK recovered paper exports set to break record in 2015

CANTERBURY (Scrap Monster): The latest export statistics released by the Confederation of Paper Industries and HM Revenue & Customs indicates that the recovered paper exports during the entire year 2015 may likely surpass the previous highs recorded during 2007 and 2008.

As per statistics, the recovered paper exports from the UK during initial ten months of the year totaled 4.02 million tonnes. The shipments during the ten-month period of the current year have jumped higher by 7.6% when compared with the shipments during the corresponding period last year. The UK recovered paper exports during Jan-Oct ’14 had totaled 3.73 million tonnes.

If the exports maintain the current momentum in the final two months of the year, the whole year exports may likely surpass the record highs of 4.846 million tonnes exported during 2008. It must be noted that the 2015 yearly exports may well exceed the 2007 exports total of 4.658 million tonnes, the second highest in the history of the country.

During January to October this year, UK’s exports of high grade recovered paper surged higher significantly by 61.7% to 149,669 tonnes. Exports of corrugated and kraft paper grew 7.9% year-on-year to 2.21 million tonnes during Jan-Oct ’15. Meantime, exports of mixed and mechanical papers increased by 4.1% to 1.66 million tonnes, relative to exports during the corresponding ten-month period in 2014.

Meanwhile, UK’s domestic production of paper and board declined by 9.6% to 3.33 million tonnes during January to October this year, when matched with 3.68 million tonnes during the same period last year. Domestic consumption by mills fell drastically by nearly 10% over the previous year to 2.8 million tonnes.

CPI is the leading organization working on behalf of the UK's Paper-based Industries. It represents the supply chain for paper, comprising recovered paper merchants, paper and board manufacturers and converters, corrugated packaging producers and makers of soft tissue papers.