A total of 77,354 tons of publication paper worth $66.12 million were imported in the first half of the current year (March 21-Sept. 22), indicating a 23% and 31% decline in weight and value year-on-year.
According to Rouhollah Latifi, spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, imports of various types of paper, including newsprint, publication paper and paperboard stood at 229,259 tons worth $270.45 million in H1 compared with 281,611 tons worth $320.57 million in the same period of last year.
“Newsprint imports during H1 of the current year hovered around 5,788 tons worth $3.91 million compared with 3,552 tons worth $2.39 million in last year’s corresponding period,” he was quoted as saying by IRIB News.
“Iran imported 52,988 tons of uncoated corrugated cardboard worth $44.08 million in H1 compared with 63,865 tons worth $60.57 million year-on-year.
Latifi noted that imports of kaolin-coated paper and cardboard stood at 17,261 tons worth $14.55 million in H1 compared with 27,652 tons worth $24.02 million YOY.
“A total of 6,050 tons of gray-back paper worth $4.25 million were imported in the first half of the current year compared with 3,403 tons worth $2.6 million in last year’s corresponding period,” he added.
Per capita consumption of paper hovers around 22 kilograms in Iran, 55 kilograms in European countries and 160 kilograms in the United States.
Domestic demand for publication paper nears 380,000 tons whereas only 180,000 tons of production capacity exist for this item. Demand for paper used for textbooks stands at 40,000 tons annually.
Iran produces 1.6 million tons of packaging paper annually. While domestic demand for packaging paper stands at 850,000 tons a year, the excess supply is exported to European and Asian countries as well as Persian Gulf littoral states.
Mehdi Sadeqi-Niyaraki, a deputy industries minister, said $100 million worth of cellulose products were exported from Iran in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2021).
“Significant developments have been made in Iran’s cellulose industry over the past decade. For instance, we were an importer of tissue paper 10 years ago, but today we have become an exporter of the product,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Fourth International Exhibition of Paper, Cardboard, Cellulose Products and Relate Machinery at Tehran's International Fairground, which will run through Thursday.
“However, the country continues to import print and publication paper as well as wallpaper and Tetra Pak carton packaging materials, despite investments made over the past few years,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Noting that the nominal capacity of paper and cardboard production stands at 200,000 tons, the official said, “A total of 1,600 cellulose product manufacturing units have been established in the country.”
Abolfazl Roghani, the head of Paper and Cardboard Producers Syndicate, said the depreciation of local currency against the US dollar is the main reason behind the exponential rise in paper prices.
“The government used to subsidize the import of newsprint but it is one and a half years since it has discontinued the allocation of cheap dollar at the rate of 42,000 rials for newsprint imports,” he was quoted as saying by ILNA.
On newsprint consumption, Roghani said about five to six years ago, a total of 120,000 tons of newsprint were consumed in Iran per day, which has decreased to 60,000 tons in the past couple of years and currently does not exceed 30,000 tons per day.
“The development of digital media and the fact that social media have replaced print media as well as the surge in prices of newsprint are behind the decline in newsprint consumption,” he said.