Japan Paper Product Production and Consumer Market Overview

Japan has been the world's second largest paper producer and consumer after the United States for many years. In 1985, the output of paper and board in Japan exceeded 20 million tons for the first time, increased by 28 million tons in 1990, exceeded 30 million tons in 1996, and thereafter the annual output fluctuates, such as 31 million tons in 1997. In 1998 it was reduced to less than 30 million tons, and in 1999 it was back to 30.6 million tons, and in 2000 it increased again to 31.8 million tons. Since 1997, China’s consumption of paper has surpassed that of Japan. In 2001, China’s paper output surpassed Japan’s and is currently the world’s third largest paper producer and consumer. Japan’s paper and board production in 2000 was 31.83 million tons, an increase of 3.9% over the previous year, but in 2001 production fell below 31 million tons, a decrease of 3.4%. From the perspective of consumption, Japan also increased from 31 million tons in 1999 to 31.74 million tons in 2000, but in 2001 it decreased to 30.84 million tons, a decrease of 2.8%. Paper consumption was 19.1 million tons, a decrease of 1.6% from the previous year. Among them, 11.6 million tons of printing and writing papers were used, a reduction of 2.3%, 3.74 million tons of newsprint papers, an increase of 1%, and 9.9 million tons of packaging papers, a decrease of 4.9%. 1.73 million tons of sanitary paper, an increase of 0.9%. The consumption of board paper in 2001 was 12.4 million tons, a decrease of 2.4%, of which corrugated paper was 9.23 million tons, a decrease of 1.8%, and paperboard was used for 2.24 million tons, a decrease of 3.3%. In the first half of 2002, the output of paper and board in Japan was 15.1 million tons, which was a decrease of 3% over the same period of last year.
The per capita paper and board consumption in Japan was 250 kg in 2000 and 243 kg in 2001, ranking eighth in the world. The countries with the highest per capita paper consumption in the world are 341 kg in Denmark, 329 kg in Belgium, 309 kg in the United States, 278 kg in Sweden, 267 kg in Finland, 260 kg in Austria, 253 kg in Canada, 243 kg in Japan, 232 kg in Switzerland and Germany. 225 kg. Japan's pulp output was 11.4 million tons in 2000, and it fell to 10.8 million tons in 2001, which is less than the United States, Canada, China, Finland and Sweden, ranking sixth in the world. Japan (2000) has 473 paper factories, employs 44,200 employees, and produces 721 tons of paper per person. The production efficiency is relatively high. For example, in the same year, China had 4,750 paper mills with an average output of 6,505 tons. Among the paper consumption, printing and information paper are the largest, accounting for more than half of the total consumption. For example, in 1990, Japan produced 9.24 million tons of paper for printing information, accounting for 56.5% of the total. In 1995, the consumption of printed information paper increased to 10,700,000 tons of more than 10 million tons, accounting for 59.7% of the total consumption of 17.90 million tons of paper. In 2000, Japan’s printed information paper increased by 5% over the previous year to 11.9 million tons, which increased to 61.1%. It is expected that in 2001 Japan's consumption of printed information paper will increase to 12.18 million tons, an increase of 2.7%, which is 1 percentage point higher than the average growth rate of paper consumption (1.7%). In print information, paper accounted for most of the paper. In 2000, Japan accounted for the majority of printing paper. In 2000, Japan produced 9.97 million tons of printing paper and only 1.89 million tons of information paper. The consumption of non-coated paper in printing paper was 3.51 million tons in 2000, and coated paper was 6.46 million tons. This year is expected to be 3.49 million tons and 6.78 million tons, respectively, for a total of 10.27 million tons. Information paper will be omitted. It increased to 1.91 million tons. The consumption of board paper is very impressive. It has been more than 10 million tons every year since the late 1980s, and it has increased to more than 12 million tons since 1994, 12.7 million tons in 2000, and 12.4 million tons in 2001. Corrugated paper consumption accounted for the vast majority of the corrugated paper consumption in 2001 was 9.23 million tons, accounting for 3/4 of the total. Since paperboard is mainly used in the packaging field, Japan's packaging paper is not much, but only a little more than 1 million tons, but with cardboard, the total amount of paper and board used in the packaging industry is quite large. In 2001, the output value of packaging materials and containers for paper, paperboard, and paper products in Japan was 251.26 billion yen, and the output was 12.71 million tons. The containers for paper packaging materials accounted for the largest proportion in Japan's packaging products. 42.7% of the output value, and its output accounts for 59.1% of the total output. Among them, the production value of wrapping paper and sacked thick paper was 273.6 billion yen, that of heavy-duty kraft paper bags was 86 billion yen, that of square bottom paper bags was 73.6 billion yen, that of corrugated cardboard boxes was 1.4 trillion yen, and that of paper containers was 726.2 billion yen The paper tube is 77.9 billion yen. In terms of recycling and reuse of old paper, Japan has also achieved remarkable results. Recycling and recycling rate reached 51.6% in 1990, increased to 53.3% in 1995, reached 55.3% in 1998, rose to 56% in 2000, 62% in 2001, 65.7% in the first half of 2002, Japan's old paper in 2001 The recovery of 19.13 million tons is the highest figure in history. Due to the high recycling rate of used paper, old paper also became the most important papermaking raw material. In 1999, the total paper used accounted for 56.1% of all papermaking materials, which was increased to 57% and 58% in 2000 and 2001, respectively. The half year is 59%.