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Printing and Writing Paper

Asia-Pacific's consumption of printing and writing paper increased from 2.4 million metric tons in 1962 to about 8 million in 1982, and more than doubled to 20 million metric tons by 1992 (Table 70). Its world share also doubled from 15% in the 1960s to 29% in 1992. From 1962 to 1972, the average annual growth rate was 8.5%. In the decade 1972-1982, growth averaged about 8.4%, and from 1982 to 1992 it was 15%.

Table 70. Consumption of printing and writing paper, in thousand metric tons, 1962-1992.

Country

1962

1972

1982

1992

Australia

105

247

469

763

Bangladesh

26

13

30

49

Bhutan





Cambodia

0

0

0

0

China

802

810

1919

5888

Fiji

0

0

2

7

French Polynesia





Hong Kong

23

57

137

187

India

240

453

721

1099

Indonesia

21

32

186

588

Japan

998

2344

3749

9443

Korea Dem People's Rep

0

2

8

1

Korea Rep

20

98

298

987

Laos

0

0

0

0

Macau

0

2

0

4

Malaysia

24

27

74

273

Myanmar

7

9

18

6

Nepal





New Caledonia

0

0

0

1

New Zealand

19

33

67

165

Pakistan

2

20

64

82

Papua New Guinea

0

1

0

0

Philippines

32

79

57

184

Samoa

0

0

0

0

Singapore

0

23

89

184

Solomon Islands





Sri Lanka

11

22

27

22

Thailand

19

54

81

166

Tonga





Vanuatu





Viet Nam

0

31

31

62

Asia Pacific

2349

4357

8027

20161

World

16099

28825

41435

69990

Share

15%

15%

19%

29%

Printing and writing paper are used mostly for publications and communications, such as magazines, books, forms, photocopying, and general printing. Over the last decades, technological developments and the growth of electronic media have influenced printing and writing paper, both by way of competition and in generating new uses and expanded demand. In recent years the rapid expansion of electronic communications and computers seems to have contributed to a high rate of growth of consumption of this paper grade. A recent study of the United States paper industry by Zhang and Buongiorno (1995) shows that technological developments have resulted in a relative decrease in the use of newsprint, but an increase in the use of other paper grades, including printing and writing paper.

The region's average per capita consumption of printing and writing paper increased from 1.4 kg in 1962 to 6.7 kg in 1992, while the world average rose from 5 kg to 12.8 kg over the same period. The range in per capita consumption within the region is large, from 76.2 kg in Japan and 65.3 kg in Singapore to 0.4 kg in Bangladesh and 0.1 kg in Myanmar in 1992. Like newsprint, the level of consumption of printing and writing paper bears a close relationship to the economic level, as evidenced by the much higher consumption in developed than in developing countries.

The main consumers in the region are Japan (9.4 million metric tons), China (5.9 million), India (1.1 million), the Republic of Korea (987 thousand metric tons), Australia (763 thousand metric tons), and Indonesia (588 thousand metric tons). Significant increases in consumption have occurred in Japan, China and the Republic of Korea since 1982. The combined consumption of these three countries accounted for 81 % of the regional total in 1992, compared to 74% in 1982.

Table 71. Production of printing and writing paper, in thousand metric tons, 1962-1992.

Country

1962

1972

1982

1992

Australia

60

130

193

304

Bangladesh

26

15

32

34

Bhutan





Cambodia

0

0

0

0

China

807

824

1931

5531

Fiji





French Polynesia





Hong Kong





India

234

444

680

1060

Indonesia

3

6

161

735

Japan

1102

2448

4017

9610

Korea Dem People's Rep





Korea rep

20

101

333

1040

Laos





Macau





Malaysia

0

0

3

162

Myanmar

0

2

7

5

Nepal





New Caledonia





New Zealand

0

24

37

8

Pakistan

0

17

33

52

Papua New Guinea





Philippines

20

70

38

144

Samoa





Singapore





Solomon Islands





Sri Lanka

4

10

13

11

Thailand

6

44

75

115

Tonga





Vanuatu





Viet Nam

0

31

31

63

Asia Pacific

2282

4166

7584

18874

World

16230

29372

41466

71383

Share

14%

14%

18%

26%

The Asia-Pacific region produced about 19 mmt of printing and writing paper in 1992, 94% of its total consumption (Table 71). In the past decades, production paralleled consumption, and more than doubled between 1982 and 1992, while the world production rose by 74%, most countries in the region have been relatively self-sufficient in this paper grade, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. The leading producers in 1992 were Japan (9.6 million metric tons), China (5.5 million), and India and the Republic of Korea with 1 million metric ton each. In terms of growth, the Republic of Korea's production tripled during the 1980s, while production in both Japan and China more than doubled. Other countries with fast growing production were Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Table 72. Imports of printing and writing paper, in thousand metric tons, 1962-1992.

Country

1962

1972

1982

1992

Australia

48

140

289

496

Bangladesh

0

0

0

15

Bhutan





Cambodia





China

0

3

5

518

Fiji

0

0

2

7

French Polynesia





Hong Kong

24

60

142

223

India

6

12

42

43

Indonesia

18

26

26

18

Japan

0

28

44

72

Korea Dem People's Rep

0

2

8

1

Korea Rep

0

0

1

51

Laos

0

0

0

0

Macau

0

2

0

4

Malaysia

24

28

71

168

Myanmar

7

7

11

1

Nepal





New Caledonia

0

0

0

1

New Zealand

19

9

33

160

Pakistan

2

3

31

30

Papua New Guinea

0

1

0

0

Philippines

12

9

19

40

Samoa

0

0

0

0

Singapore

0

29

105

224

Solomon Islands





Sri Lanka

7

12

14

11

Thailand

13

11

6

52

Tonga





Vanuatu





Viet Nam





Asia Pacific

180

382

849

2135

World

1039

3724

7622

19021

Share

17%

10%

11%

11%

Because of the self-sufficiency noted above, regional imports in 1992 were 2.1 million metric tons or slightly more than 10% of consumption (Table 72). However, imports have been increasing, and they accounted for less than 8% of consumption in 1962, but 9% in 1972. China led all countries in imports in 1992 with 518 thousand metric tons, followed by Australia with 496 thousand, Singapore and Hong Kong with 220 thousand each, and Malaysia and New Zealand with 160 thousand each. China changed from net exporter to net importer and became the region's largest importer almost over night, as shown in Figure 14. There were basically no imports of printing and writing paper in China before 1983. Since then, however, imports have risen steadily, and reaching 550 thousand metric tons in the early 1990s. Net imports accounted for 6% of China's total consumption in 1992. This was mainly due to the accelerated domestic consumption, especially in the fast growing southern provinces where the printing and publishing industry is developing at an unprecedented rate.

Figure 14. Imports of printing and writing paper in China, 1961 - 1992.

Singapore and Hong Kong have been historically net importers and have no domestic production capacity. Around 17% of the imports by Singapore and Hong Kong were re-exported and the rest were consumed domestically.

The Asia-Pacific imported printing and writing paper mostly from the European Union, according to Table 73, nearly 40 % of the total. Imports from North America accounted for about 9 % and imports from other parts of the world 23 %.

The region exported only 848 thousand metric tons of printing and writing paper in 1992, less than half what it imported (Table 73). Japan and the Republic of Korea appeared to be the region's largest exporters, with 239 and 104 thousand metric tons, respectively, in 1992 (note: the UN data in Table 74 show Japan with 716 and Republic of Korea with 177 thousand metric tons in the same year). China and Indonesia also exported significant amounts that were not recorded in the UN statistics shown in Table 74.

Over 67% of Japan exports went to countries in the region, while 6% went to North America, and 2.3% to the European Union. Similarly close to 62% of the Republic of Korea's exports went to the Asia-Pacific, and about 7% was shipped to the United States (Table 74).

Table 73. Exports of printing and writing paper, in thousand metric tons, 1962-1992.

Country

1962

1972

1982

1992

Australia

3

23

13

37

Bangladesh

0

2

2

0

Bhutan





Cambodia





China

5

17

17

161

Fiji





French Polynesia





Hong Kong

1

3

5

36

India

0

3

1

4

Indonesia

0

0

1

165

Japan

104

132

312

239

Korea Dem People's Rep





Korea Rep

0

3

36

104

Laos





Macau





Malaysia

0

1

0

57

Myanmar





Nepal





New Caledonia





New Zealand

0

0

3

3

Pakistan

0

0

0

0

Papua New Guinea





Philippines

0

0

0

0

Samoa





Singapore

0

6

16

40

Solomon Islands





Sri Lanka





Thailand

0

1

0

1

Tonga





Vanuatu





Viet Nam

0

0

0

1

Asia Pacific

113

191

406

848

World

1170

4271

7653

19418

Share

10%

4%

5%

4%

Table 74. Direction of trade in printing and writing paper, in thousand metric tons, 1992.


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