Chinese RCP & Pulp Imports Plunge

China's recovered paper (RCP) imports dropped 17.9% to around 2.066 million tonnes in February, down from some 2.518 million tonnes in the previous month, according to data from China Customs. February's figure was 18.4% lower than the 2.531 million tonnes recorded in February 2012. Total RCP imports in the first two months came in at 4.584 million tonnes, up 6.5% from the year-earlier period.

China's total pulp imports declined 20.0% in February compared to the previous month, down to nearly 1.091 million tonnes, according to data from China Customs. The February fall was attributed mainly to a 30.2% plunge in bleached softwood kraft (BSK) pulp imports, while intake of bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) pulp dipped 1.0%. BSK imports plummeted to 378,835 tonnes that month, from 543,048 tonnes in January. And BHK imports slipped from 479,100 tonnes month on month to 474,402 tonnes in February. February's total pulp import figure was 29.8% lower than the 1.554 million tonnes recorded in the same month of 2012. Pulp imports for the first two months totaled some 2.455 million tonnes, a decrease of 10.0% from the preceding year.