U.S., Canadian recovered paper exports reach record highs last year, mainly because of strong demand from China

U.S. and Canadian recovered paper exports increased to a record highs because of surging demand from China and Asia as well as from machine shutdowns in North America. U.S. exports rose 13% to 14.6 million tonnes while in Canada exports 12% to 1.12 million tonnes, double what Canada exported five years earlier. China's buying of U.S. recovered paper has grown every year since the year 1994, when China purchased 291,000 tonnes. Overall U.S. recovered paper exports have doubled since the last ten years. For the year 2005, China imported 17 million tonnes of recovered paper, up almost 39% from its recovered paper imports made in the year 2004. According to the market analysts, U.S. demand for recovered paper at mills has declined about three million tonnes from its peak of 37.0 million tonnes for the year 1999.