Fiber exports continued their multiyear downward trajectory overall, though Canada and Malaysia marked double-digit increases on the year. | F-Armstrong-Photography/Shutterstock
Recovered paper exports angled downwards during the first half of 2024, as major overseas buyers decreased their purchases by as much as 30% year over year. On the plastics side, more than half the material that left the U.S. stayed in North America.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, U.S. exports of recovered paper fell and plastic exports remained steady in the first quarter of 2024. | Joyseulay/Shutterstock
Exports of U.S. recovered paper dwindled to their lowest first-quarter volume since 2002, driven by substantial declines to major buyers in Thailand and India. Plastic shipments remained steady year over year. Continue Reading
Although recycled pulp export activity has slowed considerably, Total Fiber Recovery has started up its mill in Virginia and is producing bales of dried recycled pulp for export and domestic sale. | Photo courtesy Total Fiber Recovery
In May 2018, as the global recycling industry was reeling from the Chinese government’s move to ban or heavily restrict imports of key recovered paper grades, the largest paper company in China made an investment that drew some attention. Continue Reading
The U.S. exported 14.3 million short tons of recovered fiber in 2023, down 17% from 2022. | Nickpeps/Shutterstock
U.S. recovered paper exports in 2023 reached a 19-year low, driven by major multi-year declines in shipments into key overseas markets. Recovered plastic exports dropped slightly year over year, bringing a record low for another consecutive year. Continue Reading
Export figures are following a yearslong trend of decline due to market changes, trade policy and China’s National Sword. | Chenxueting/Shutterstock
The U.S. continued to export less scrap fiber and plastic during the first nine months of this year, with notable drops in paper shipped to India and plastic shipped to Mexico. Continue Reading
The pulper at Total Fiber Recovery in Chesapeake, Va. | Courtesy of Bulk Handling Systems
A mixed paper and OCC pulping operation is nearing completion on the Eastern Seaboard and plans to start producing unbleached recycled pulp in early January, a company owner said. Continue Reading
The top destination for exported U.S. fiber, India, took in 37% less this year than it did last year. | StockStudio Aerials/Shutterstock
Exports of both recovered fiber and plastics fell during the first six months of 2023, newly released federal trade statistics show. Continue Reading
First-quarter fiber exports to India dropped significantly from 2022 numbers; meanwhile, Thailand stepped up as the prime destination. | Canetti/Shutterstock
U.S. companies exported 8% less recovered fiber and 10% less scrap plastic during the first quarter of 2023 than they did a year earlier, and there were some dramatic changes in where material was flowing. Continue Reading