UK mixed paper exports slide 13%-plus in early 2018

Global – Compared to January-February 2017, mixed paper exports from the UK tumbled 13.1% in the first two months of this year whereas domestic usage increased by 5.4%, according to latest statistics published by the Confederation of Paper Industries and HM Revenue & Customs.

Overseas shipments of mixed paper dropped from 264 049 tonnes in early 2017 to 229 425 tonnes, not least because of China’s new import stance. The UK’s exports of OCC, meanwhile, edged 0.6% lower to 420 682 tonnes in January-February 2018 while outbound shipments of the woodfree grades climbed 3.6% to 37 992 tonnes.

Combining the figures for all grades of recovered fibre, UK exports were 3.6% lower in the first two months of this year at 747 024 tonnes. Making the same year-on-year comparison, UK mills upped their consumption of mixed paper from 64 904 tonnes to 68 403 tonnes and domestic OCC usage increased by 3.3% to 198 721 tonnes.

For all grades, UK mill consumption was 3.9% higher at 517 140 tonnes whereas UK paper and board production edged 0.9% lower to 620 143 tonnes. UK collections of recovered paper dipped 0.8% in this year’s January-February period to 1.249 million tonnes.