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Waste paper: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in waste paper totaled $8.4 billion (44.3 million tonnes). The top exporters were the United States (31%), the United Kingdom (8%) and the Netherlands (5%); the top importers were India (14%), Germany (10%) and Malaysia (9%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 5%.

Summary

World trade
$8.4billion
Tonnes
44.3million tonnes
Price per tonne
$189
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. United States$2.6 billion · 30.8%
  2. United Kingdom$700 million · 8.4%
  3. Netherlands$442 million · 5.3%
    re-exports
  4. France$358 million · 4.3%
  5. Japan$346 million · 4.1%
  6. Germany$337 million · 4%
  7. Italy$309 million · 3.7%
  8. Canada$277 million · 3.3%
  9. Poland$244 million · 2.9%
  10. Belgium$195 million · 2.3%
    re-exports
  11. Australia$186 million · 2.2%
  12. Austria$173 million · 2.1%
  13. Czechia$153 million · 1.8%
  14. Spain$140 million · 1.7%
  15. Hong Kong$112 million · 1.3%
    re-exports
  16. Denmark$92 million · 1.1%
  17. Ireland$87 million · 1%
  18. Portugal$87 million · 1%
  19. South Korea$83 million · 0.99%
  20. Sweden$78 million · 0.94%

Top importers

  1. India$1.2 billion · 14.2%
  2. Germany$837 million · 10%
  3. Malaysia$776 million · 9.3%
  4. Vietnam$723 million · 8.6%
  5. Thailand$574 million · 6.8%
  6. Indonesia$449 million · 5.4%
  7. Mexico$386 million · 4.6%
  8. Netherlands$328 million · 3.9%
    re-exports
  9. Austria$293 million · 3.5%
  10. Turkey$268 million · 3.2%
  11. Taiwan$213 million · 2.5%
  12. Italy$205 million · 2.5%
  13. China$200 million · 2.4%
  14. South Korea$197 million · 2.4%
  15. Spain$192 million · 2.3%
  16. France$178 million · 2.1%
  17. United States$165 million · 2%
  18. Canada$159 million · 1.9%
  19. Belgium$143 million · 1.7%
    re-exports
  20. Hungary$86 million · 1%

Trend

Who sells it

The United States was the top exporter throughout the period

Value in USD billions. The five largest exporters in 2024.

  • United States 2.6
  • United Kingdom 0.7
  • Netherlands 0.44
  • France 0.36
  • Japan 0.35

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
United States22.6
United Kingdom0.090.7
Netherlands0.320.44
France0.20.36
Japan0.010.35

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne fell 13% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $189

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$217
1996$136
1997$121
1998$103
1999$107
2000$178
2001$122
2002$139
2003$143
2004$144
2005$151
2006$141
2007$179
2008$195
2009$147
2010$201
2011$225
2012$193
2013$187
2014$187
2015$171
2016$173
2017$203
2018$191
2019$161
2020$151
2021$230
2022$234
2023$173
2024$189

What it includes

  • 4707 · Waste paper

Products in the same chapter

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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