🇺🇸 United States exports of waste paper: 2024 trade data
Exports of waste paper by the United States reached $2.60 billion in 2024 (11.81 million tonnes). That makes it the largest exporter of this product worldwide, out of 173 countries. That is close to the 2023 level. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable. The peak in this period was 2017, at $3.53 billion.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Exports of waste paper by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2.60B | 11.81M t |
| 2023 | $2.60B | 12.88M t |
| 2022 | $3.31B | 13.41M t |
| 2021 | $3.32B | 13.68M t |
| 2020 | $2.31B | 13.23M t |
| 2019 | $2.47B | 14.21M t |
| 2018 | $3.09B | 15.40M t |
| 2017 | $3.53B | 18.06M t |
Where the United States exports waste paper to
The largest buyer markets were Malaysia (16%), Thailand (16%), Mexico (16%). Trade is spread widely: the top three buyer markets together make up only 49%. Among the main buyer markets, Malaysia grew fastest (+40% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $426.6M | 16% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $426.1M | 16% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $414.7M | 16% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $376.6M | 15% |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $238.1M | 9.2% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $161.4M | 6.2% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $114.3M | 4.4% |
| Taiwan | $92.5M | 3.6% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $82.7M | 3.2% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $69.2M | 2.7% |
Types of waste paper under HS 4707
| 4707.10 | Paper or paperboard: waste and scrap, of unbleached kraft paper or paperboard or corrugated paper or paperboard | 64% |
| 4707.90 | Paper or paperboard: waste and scrap, of paper or paperboard n.e.c. in heading no. 4707 and of unsorted waste and scrap | 16% |
| 4707.20 | Paper or paperboard: waste and scrap, paper or paperboard made mainly of bleached chemical pulp, not coloured in the mass | 15% |
| 4707.30 | Paper or paperboard: waste and scrap, paper or paperboard made mainly of mechanical pulp (e.g. newspapers, journals and similar printed matter) | 5% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 4707.
Average export price of waste paper
The average declared value was about $0.22 per kg, close to the world average of $0.19.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United States also imports waste paper
In 2024, the United States imported waste paper worth $159.1 million (1.02 million tonnes). Its share of world imports was 2%. Canada alone supplied 92% of it. Among the main suppliers, Mexico grew fastest (+35% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $146.5M | 92% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $9.9M | 6.2% |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $964K | 0.6% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $330K | 0.2% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $324K | 0.2% |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | $266K | 0.2% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $222K | 0.1% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | $92K | 0.1% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $83K | 0.1% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $73K | 0.1% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United States?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Direct customs feed: shipment-level records from the official customs source.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 4707: Waste and scrap of paper and paperboard.
Waste paper trade in the United States: questions
What is the value of waste paper imported by the United States?
The United States imported waste paper worth $159.1 million in 2024 (1.02 million tonnes).
Where does the United States import waste paper from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Canada (92%), Mexico (6%), New Zealand (1%).
What is the average import price of waste paper in the United States?
The average declared import value was about $0.16 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $0.19 per kg.
Does the United States export waste paper?
Yes. The United States exported waste paper worth $2.60 billion in 2024, mainly to Malaysia, Thailand, Mexico.
What is the HS code for waste paper?
Waste paper falls under HS heading 4707 (Waste and scrap of paper and paperboard). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading waste paper with the United States?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United States with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Waste paper trade in other countries
More trade data for the United States
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