Recovered paper exports continue downward trend

In March, the Washington-based Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) released a report that showed U.S. recovered paper exports were down all of 2023 compared with 2022, and according to the most recent data, that trend has continued into this year.

U.S. exports of recovered paper declined 19 percent in the first quarter of 2024 to 2.98 million metric tons, based on data from ReMA, the U.S. International Trade Commission and Census Bureau, while the value of those exports declined nearly 17 percent to $600 million.

Figures were down even further when comparing monthly totals, as U.S. recovered paper exports were down about 23 percent this March compared with March 2023, however, ReMA reports March export volume increase 5 percent compared with February export volume.

Thailand was the top importer of U.S. recovered paper in the first quarter, taking in 547,183 metric tons, but that number is down almost 27 percent from the first quarter of 2023 when Thailand imported 747,105 metric tons. According to ReMA, last year, Thailand was one of only two top-10 countries that bought more U.S. recovered paper than it did the previous year.

India was the second-largest buyer in the first quarter, taking in 514,472 metric tons—down almost 25 percent from the first quarter of 2023.

The remaining top buyers include:

• Mexico: 460,833 metric tons
• Malaysia: 428,830 metric tons
• Vietnam: 269,701 metric tons
• Canada: 241,520 metric tons
• South Korea: 133,246 metric tons
• China: 120,841 metric tons
• Taiwan: 96,695 metric tons
• Indonesia: 56,814 metric tons

Of the top 10 importers of U.S. recovered paper, only two countries, Malaysia and Canada, purchased more in the first quarter of 2024 than they did the first quarter of 2023. Malaysian imports were up 62.3 percent in the first quarter while Canadian imports were up 40.5 percent.

The steepest decline was in Taiwan, where imports were down 54.6 percent in the first quarter.

In total, the top 10 U.S. recovered paper importers decreased purchases by 17.6 percent, while the rest of the world saw a 45 percent decrease, from 205,921 metric tons in the first quarter of 2023 to 113,260 metric tons in the most recent quarter.