Recovered Paper Intake by Vietnam Surged 6% in 2018

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The trade statistics by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade suggests considerable surge in imports of recovered paper by the country in 2018 upon comparison with the year before that. In general, the recovered paper shipments to several Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam have recorded notable increase following import restrictions imposed by the Chinese administration.

According to Ministry data, the country imported around 2.1 million tons of paper including waste paper in 2018. When compared with 2017, the imports surged higher by 6.1%. Incidentally, Vietnam had imported only 1.98 million tons in the whole of 2017. The imports in December alone stood at nearly 210,000 tons, higher by almost 25%. By value, the exports were up by 14%. The primary sources of import were China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

Atlanta-based consultant company Moore & Associates noted that import policy changes in China have led to robust growth in recovered paper imports by Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam. The other major countries in the region to witness notable growth in import volumes of recovered paper are India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Laos, Philippines and Malaysia, Moore noted.

Vietnam’s paper demand is expected to report 8-10% growth per annum over the next two years. Of late, the country has been witnessing increased investments in paper mills.