UK fibre exports reach new peak in 2016

United Kingdom – UK exports of recovered paper broke new ground last year in climbing to just short of 5 million tonnes.

Despite the container and shipping space shortages experienced late last year by the country now established as Europe’s leading fibre exporter, an all-time high 4.932 million tonnes left UK shores in 2016 for an increase of 1% over the previous record of 4.88 million tonnes set in 2015.

Figures published by the Confederation of Paper Industries and HM Revenue & Customs reveal that overseas shipments of mixed & mechanical increased by 1.4% to 2.01 million tonnes whereas the UK’s corrugated & kraft exports dipped 0.4% to 2.707 million tonnes. Outbound shipments of the ”other” grades of recovered paper, meanwhile, leapt 18.8% to 213 739 tonnes.

Last year’s increase in UK exports was achieved on lower domestic collections of recovered paper, with the total dropping 1.1% to 7.825 million tonnes. UK mills’ consumption of recovered paper tumbled 9.5% to 3.018 million tonnes in 2016, with declines of 14%, 6.9% and 5.4% recorded by, respectively, mixed & mechanical, corrugated & kraft and ‘other’ grades. UK paper and board production slid 7.4% last year to 3.676 million tonnes.