Smaller paper mills in China can apply for recovered paper import permits

The Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China has changed the rules of the minimum size of Chinese paper mills that may apply for import permits of recovered paper from 300,000 to 50,000 tonnes per year capacity. So the number of mills that may import will increase.

Chinese Paper Mills have already been asked to submit their applications for recovered paper import permits, which will be issued on an annual basis.

It is estimated that more than 80 companies in China will benefit from these changes. As a result the projections are now that China imports of recovered paper in 2018 might be in the order of 22 million tonnes vs. the previous estimation of 18 million tonnes, a figure still down compared to the 2017 estimated 28 million tonnes.

Last, it is expected that the threshold of 0.5 percent “Carried Waste“ will still be enforced in the pre-shipment inspection by China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC).