Second-quarter slowdown in UK recovered paper exports

United Kingdom – Having set a record-breaking pace earlier in the year, UK recovered paper exports went off the boil in the second quarter amid lower collection volumes and some decent demand at home, according to latest figures from the Confederation of Paper Industries and HM Revenue & Customs.

The UK’s overseas shipments in the first half of 2016 as a whole were just 1.3% higher than in last year’s corresponding period at 2.523 million tonnes following a 29.2% year-on-year slump in June itself to 357 782 tonnes.

Corrugated & kraft exports tumbled more than 47% year on year in June to 174 333 tonnes. UK recovered paper collections had exceeded 700 000 tonnes in each of the first three months of this year but slid well below this mark in April (603 150 tonnes), May (620 582 tonnes) and June (612 386 tonnes) to give a year-to-date total of 4.016 million tonnes (+2.3% compared to January-June 2015).

UK mill usage of recovered paper ended the second quarter more strongly in climbing 7.2% year on year in June to 271 326 tonnes – the second-highest monthly tally to date in 2016. Across the first half of the year as a whole, however, mill consumption in the UK was down 7.3% at 1.55 million tonnes.