U.S. Recovered Fiber Exports Recorded Fourth Straight Month of Decline

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The U.S. recovered paper exports extended decline for the fourth consecutive month, says the latest monthly export statistics published by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The figures indicate that the country shipped 1.5 million short tons of recovered fiber in February 2019, falling further from the Jan ’19 export total of 1.6 million short tons. The exports were down when compared with the year-ago level as well.

The exports to all destination countries registered a decline of almost 90,000 short tons over the prior month. However, China accounted for most of the decline. Over the prior month, China reported drastic decline in imports from the U.S, down by more than 70,000 short tons. The country reported lowest monthly volume of recovered paper imports from the U.S. in February this year. The imports of mixed paper almost dried up.

The OCC shipments by the U.S. to all countries reported notable decline in February this year. The Feb ’19 shipments totaled 879,000 short tons, as compared with almost 1 million short tons in January 2019. It must be noted that the OCC shipments, which recorded strong momentum during the closing months of 2018, had showed signs of weakness in Jan ’19. The OCC shipments to China recorded the lowest level in more than a decade.

China continued to be the largest importer of recovered paper exports from the U.S., importing 459,000 short tons in Feb ’19. The other key export destinations of U.S. recycled paper exports along with the export volume in short tons are as follows: China (459,000), India (251,000) and Mexico (170,000).

This story originally appeared in www.resource-recycling.com