China pulp imports drop in January by 16.7% year-over-year and by 15.0% month-over-month, to 1,167,552 tonnes

Diane Keaton

LOS ANGELES , March 2, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – China imported 1,167,552 tonnes of pulp in January, down by 16.7% from a year ago and by 15.0% from a month ago, according to China Customs Bureau statistics.

However, this was the sixth straight month in which imports surpassed 1 million tonnes. Last year saw imports of more than 1 million tonnes in every month except June and July.

In January 2012, there was a year-over-year decrease in the imports of bleached softwood kraft pulp (BSKP) but an increase in bleached hardwood kraft pulp (BHKP) imports. Both sectors saw month-over-month decreases.

In January, China imported 454,255 tonnes of BSKP, down by 8.4% from December and by 21.8% from January 2011. (Note: the 21.8% figure is a correction from the article as originally posted.)

BHKP imports in January of 481,964 tonnes fell by 11.9% month-over-month but increased by 3.8% year-over-year.

January imports of Canadian BSKP, or northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp, were 159,978 tonnes, falling by 21.9% from December and by 35.7% from January 2012.

Notably, Finnish NBSK imports in January of 1,493 tonnes contrasted sharply with December’s 59,923 tonnes and January 2011’s 48,040 tonnes.

Imports in January 2012 of Brazilian bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEKP) of 174,783 tonnes dropped by 26.9% month-over-month but grew by 46.7% year-over-year.

Imports of unbleached softwood kraft (UKP) of 55,184 tonnes fell in January by 22.9% from December and by 31.9% from January 2011.

Imports to China of mechanical and semi-chemical pulp, also known as high-yield pulp or bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP), of 91,032 tonnes, decreased by 20.6% from the previous month and by 71.5% from a year earlier.

In January, dissolving pulp imports to China totalled 76,647 tonnes, down 27.0% month-over-month and by 19.4% year-over-year.

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