Zero import tariffs will continue to be implemented for multiple paper types in 2025

On December 28, the Tariff Commission of the State Council released the tariff adjustment plan for 2025, and multiple paper types will continue to be subject to zero import tariffs.

In 2023 and 2024, my country will implement a temporary import tariff rate lower than the most-favored-nation tariff rate for a number of commodities, among which offset paper, coated paper, white paperboard, recycled containerboard and corrugated base paper in the papermaking category will be subject to zero tariffs, but the tariff adjustment does not cover kraft containerboard and newsprint products.

According to the latest released temporary tariff table for imported commodities, offset paper, coated paper, white paperboard, recycled containerboard and corrugated base paper will continue to be subject to zero tariffs in 2025.

Packaging paper

Corrugated paper is still the largest imported paper type, with a total import volume of 7.26 million tons as of November this year, of which the import volume of recycled corrugated paper and corrugated base paper from January to November this year was 3.72 million tons and 2.46 million tons respectively.

Since the implementation of zero import tariffs on these two types of paper in 2023, the import volume has increased significantly. The import volume of recycled corrugated paper and corrugated paper from January to November 2023 increased by 67% and 48% respectively compared with the same period in 2022, reaching 3.55 million and 3.22 million tons. In the first 11 months of this year, the import volume of recycled corrugated paper continued to rise. Although the import volume of corrugated paper declined significantly compared with the same period in 2023, it was still higher than the same period in 2022.

Kraft corrugated paper was not included in the tariff adjustment plan, but the import volume from January to November in 2022 and 2023 maintained an increase of about 20%, and the import volume as of November this year exceeded one million tons to reach 1.08 million tons.

All imported white cardboard products will continue to be subject to zero tariffs in 2025. From January to November this year, China imported about 580,000 tons of white cardboard, compared with 510,000 tons last year and 480,000 tons in the same period of the year before.

Cultural paper

For offset paper and coated paper, the import tax rate will continue to be zero in 2025. From January to November this year, China imported about 240,000 tons of offset paper, which increased from the same period last year, but was lower than 340,000 tons in the same period of 2022; the import volume of coated paper remained at 210,000 tons, which did not change much from the same period of the previous two years.

The zero tariff plan does not cover newsprint products. As of November this year, China's total newsprint imports reached 380,000 tons, a decrease from the same period in 2022 and 2023.