China reduces dependence on pulp imports by significantly increasing production
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2022 was the most difficult year for China's pulp, paper and paper converting industry since the 2009 financial crisis, writes industry association China Paper Association (CPA) in its 2022 annual report. However, the pulp for paper manufacturing sector gave a much more positive picture than paper and board production.
According to the CPA's annual report 2022, the Chinese paper industry was able to increase its production of its own recycled and virgin fibre pulp to almost 86 million tonnes in 2022, thus further reducing its dependence on pulp imports.
Wood pulp production increased by 17% to 21 million tonnes, while consumption increased by 4% to 43 million tonnes. Imports decreased by 5 %. By comparison, slightly less than 9 million tonnes of wood pulp were produced in China in 2013.
Production of recycled pulp increased by almost 2 % to almost 60 million tonnes. Consumption reached 64 million tonnes and was thus almost completely satisfied by domestic production. Nevertheless, imports also went up slightly, which is likely to be mainly the recycled pulp produced abroad by Chinese companies.
Overall, the Chinese recycled about 66 million tonnes of recovered paper in 2022, up from 65 million tonnes in 2021 and 44 million tonnes in 2013, with a recycling rate of 53.1%. Imports of recovered paper - almost 30 million t in 2013 - amounted to about 57,000 t in 2022.
There was a slight increase in production to approx. 6 million t for alternative pulp grades. Production roughly corresponds to consumption, which declined slightly in 2022. By type, however, only the production of bamboo pulp was increased to approx. 2 million t and bagasse pulp to 80,000 t. The production of all other alternative pulps increased slightly. Production of all other alternative pulps decreased in 2022 and over 10 years.
