US Scrap paper exports to India grew significantly in 2014

SPOKANE (Scrap Monster):China continues to be the leading scrap paper export destination for the US. However, statistics for the year 2014 indicate that the US exports of recovered paper to India surged significantly during the year. The exports are likely to remain robust in the coming years. The above facts were disclosed during a session on ‘US recovered fiber supply’ held at the recently concluded ‘2015 Paper Recycling Conference’ in New Delhi.

According to Bill Moore, Moore & Associates, despite higher paper recovery rates, the annual paper and board production in the US have declined steadily since 2007. The recovered fiber has been exported in large quantities to feed the requirement of Chinese paper producers.

The US exports of recovered paper totaled 15.3 million tons in 2014. The Chinese mills imported almost 75% of the US-generated recovered fiber. China’s imports of recovered paper from the US totaled 11.5 million tons during the year.

The US recovered paper exports to India remained strong during the year. While China imported most of the recovered paper through Pacific Coast, 99% of the imports by India were from the East Coast. The Chinese purchases through the East Coast have reduced by 284,000 tons during the period from 2012 to 2014, whereas the imports by India through the same ports were up by 262,000 tons during this period.

The rising trend in scrap paper exports from the US to India is expected to stay for some more time. The increasing demand for customized grades by Indian paper mills is likely to keep US recovered paper exports to the country at higher levels.