Chemical wood pulp exports increase in the first quarter of 2022

Chemical wood pulp exports increase in the first three months of 2022 when compared to the same period in 2021 as a consequence of growing demand for paper products across the globe, according to CW Research's IPPWeek Market Data.

“The wood pulp market continues to see growth in demand due to increasing use of paper across the world. With that, in the first quarter of 2022, we see mixed trends in chemical wood pulp trade, with European markets leading imports ”, explains Wanderson Teixeira, Business Analyst at CW Group.

United States imports and exports decline in the first three months of the year

In the US, there was a decrease of around 12 percent in chemical wood pulp exports in March to 497,000 tons, when compared to the same period last year. When compared to February, it fell 2 percent. In the first three months of 2022, the country's exports reached 1.5 million tons, a decline of 6.0 percent when compared to the same period in 2021.

Meanwhile, chemical wood pulp imports in March also decreased around 6 percent when compared to March 2021, to 219,000 tons, following declines in January and February of 18 and 8 percent, respectively, when compared to the same period last year. In the first quarter of 2022, there was a decrease in imports of 11 percent year-to-date, to reach 0.6 million tons.

Chile’s pulp exports rapidly grow in 1Q2022

In January 2022, the exported volume of chemical wood pulp in Chile increased by 9 percent when compared to the previous year, to 420,000 tons. February registered a volume of 235,000 tons, a decrease of 25 percent when compared to the previous year.

March's chemical wood pulp exports in Chile reached 458,000 tons, an increase of 106 percent when compared to the previous year. Year-to-date, chemical wood pulp exports strengthened by 21 percent, reaching 1.1 million tons.

Europe chemical wood pulp imports with mixed performance in March

In the first month of the year, Portugal saw an increase in chemical wood exports of 6 percent compared to the same period in 2021, to 107,000 tons. However, in comparison with December 2021, exports decreased by 2 percent. In February, exports increased by 6 percent when compared to the previous year, reaching 82,000 tons, while in March decreased more than 1 percent year-on-year, to more than 116,000 tons. In the first three months of the year, the country's exports registered an increase of 4.0 percent compared to the same period in 2021, to 0.3 million tons.

In France, chemical wood pulp imports grew by almost 18 percent in March 2022 to 153,000 tons, when compared to the same period in 2021. From January to March, there was a 9 percent rise, when compared to the same period in 2021, to 0.4 million tons.

In Germany, chemical pulp imports increased by 8 percent during March year-on-year, to almost 329,000 tons. Chemical wood pulp imports decreased by 12 percent year-to-date to 0.8 million tons.

CW Research’s IPPWeek Market Data reporting covers monthly paper and pulp volume trends across the globe. The service provides data and statistics on monthly demand and supply volumes for the largest paper and pulp producing and consuming markets around the world. Presented in an objective, easy-to-understand format, the IPPWeek Market Data is an indispensable tool for producers, suppliers, traders, investors, and end-users that need to quickly understand developments in the world paper and pulp markets.

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