Overall, the cost of paper imports increased by an average 20.5% for all importing countries since 2020 when international purchases of paper were valued at $158.7 billion.
Year over year, globally imported purchases of paper flatlined via a 0.6% gain compared to $190 billion starting from 2023.
The biggest buyers of imported paper on international markets are the United States of America, Germany, France, United Kingdom and Italy. Collectively, those countries accounted for almost a third (31.5%) of imported paper purchased in 2024.
Paper is produced by pressing together moist cellulose pulp fibers derived from wood, grasses or rags, which is then dried into flexible sheets. There are many different types of paper and a myriad of uses encompassing currency, wrapping materials, containers, books, newspapers, magazines, note papers, toilet paper, paper towels, clothing plus many more varieties.
From a continental perspective, buyers in European countries spent the most on imported paper during 2024 with purchases costing $91.2 billion or 47.7% of the global total. In second place were importers located in Asia at 23.2% while another 18.1% of paper imported worldwide was delivered to customers in North America.
Smaller percentages arrived in Latin America (4.9%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (4.3%) then Oceania (1.7%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 48 for paper.
Paper Imports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of paper during 2024.
- United States: US$20.8 billion (10.9% of total imported paper)
- Germany: $14.6 billion (7.6%)
- France: $9.5 billion (5%)
- United Kingdom: $8.2 billion (4.3%)
- Italy: $7.1 billion (3.7%)
- Canada: $7 billion (3.7%)
- Mexico: $6.8 billion (3.6%)
- mainland China: $6.7 billion (3.5%)
- Poland: $6.5 billion (3.4%)
- Netherlands: $6.2 billion (3.2%)
- Belgium: $5.2 billion (2.7%)
- Spain: $4.6 billion (2.4%)
- Vietnam: $3.3 billion (1.7%)
- India: $3.2 billion (1.7%)
- Türkiye: $2.9 billion (1.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 58.9% of globally imported paper in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for paper since 2023 were: Vietnam (up 19.4%), United States of America (up 8.2%), Poland (up 5.3%) and Canada (up 4.8%).
Those buyer countries that posted declines in their imported paper purchases were led by: Türkiye (down -5.6% from 2023), France (down -4.6%), mainland China (down -3.7%) and the Netherlands (down -0.7%).
Searchable List of Paper Importers in 2024
The 100 importing nations buying paper in 2024 accounted for 97.5% of all purchases of the commodity.
| Rank | Importer | Paper Imports | 2023-4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | $20,754,848,000 | +8.2% |
| 2. | Germany | $14,575,106,000 | +0.4% |
| 3. | France | $9,540,149,000 | -4.6% |
| 4. | United Kingdom | $8,235,611,000 | +1.5% |
| 5. | Italy | $7,104,780,000 | -0.2% |
| 6. | Canada | $7,043,191,000 | +4.8% |
| 7. | Mexico | $6,836,341,000 | +0.2% |
| 8. | mainland China | $6,673,900,000 | -3.7% |
| 9. | Poland | $6,471,184,000 | +5.3% |
| 10. | Netherlands | $6,193,844,000 | -0.7% |
| 11. | Belgium | $5,204,106,000 | +2.8% |
| 12. | Spain | $4,616,729,000 | +1.3% |
| 13. | Vietnam | $3,334,272,000 | +19.4% |
| 14. | India | $3,240,748,000 | +4.1% |
| 15. | Türkiye | $2,898,801,000 | -5.6% |
| 16. | Japan | $2,779,305,000 | -3.3% |
| 17. | Czech Republic | $2,655,677,000 | +0.1% |
| 18. | Austria | $2,492,552,000 | -3.6% |
| 19. | Australia | $2,441,944,000 | +9.3% |
| 20. | Switzerland | $2,362,568,000 | -4.5% |
| 21. | South Korea | $2,268,032,000 | +3.4% |
| 22. | United Arab Emirates | $2,232,642,000 | +16.7% |
| 23. | Thailand | $2,116,629,000 | +12% |
| 24. | Saudi Arabia | $1,871,390,000 | +2.2% |
| 25. | Malaysia | $1,861,608,000 | +8.1% |
| 26. | Hungary | $1,828,105,000 | -1.5% |
| 27. | Sweden | $1,737,999,000 | +3.6% |
| 28. | Indonesia | $1,732,943,000 | +5.8% |
| 29. | Taiwan | $1,677,456,000 | +0.9% |
| 30. | Romania | $1,626,569,000 | +7.5% |
| 31. | Philippines | $1,582,907,000 | +7% |
| 32. | Denmark | $1,526,647,000 | -1.1% |
| 33. | Portugal | $1,491,576,000 | +2.3% |
| 34. | Russia | $1,446,155,000 | -9.7% |
| 35. | Egypt | $1,442,871,000 | +9.7% |
| 36. | Greece | $1,427,829,000 | +0.2% |
| 37. | Ireland | $1,377,217,000 | +0.4% |
| 38. | Hong Kong | $1,212,138,000 | -1.5% |
| 39. | South Africa | $1,090,007,000 | +0.5% |
| 40. | Singapore | $1,011,542,000 | -9.9% |
| 41. | Brazil | $962,922,000 | +8.3% |
| 42. | Norway | $946,976,000 | -2.9% |
| 43. | Chile | $907,090,000 | +2.9% |
| 44. | Slovakia | $902,633,000 | -7.1% |
| 45. | Morocco | $872,383,000 | +0.4% |
| 46. | Israel | $846,089,000 | +10.5% |
| 47. | Guatemala | $833,068,000 | +2.1% |
| 48. | Colombia | $826,043,000 | +14% |
| 49. | Ukraine | $798,023,000 | +11.9% |
| 50. | Costa Rica | $759,747,000 | -1.7% |
| 51. | Algeria | $757,345,000 | -5.5% |
| 52. | Serbia | $745,783,000 | +8.4% |
| 53. | Bangladesh | $745,006,000 | +1.8% |
| 54. | Dominican Republic | $721,898,000 | +1.2% |
| 55. | Croatia | $718,875,000 | +4.1% |
| 56. | Argentina | $706,887,000 | -20.3% |
| 57. | Peru | $695,880,000 | +4.5% |
| 58. | Cambodia | $689,169,000 | +24.1% |
| 59. | New Zealand | $677,427,000 | 0% |
| 60. | Bulgaria | $676,674,000 | -6.4% |
| 61. | Lithuania | $652,246,000 | +4.2% |
| 62. | Finland | $647,616,000 | +0.5% |
| 63. | Slovenia | $637,250,000 | +4.2% |
| 64. | Kazakhstan | $567,818,000 | -2.5% |
| 65. | Iraq | $544,074,000 | -34.8% |
| 66. | Uzbekistan | $531,163,000 | +31.3% |
| 67. | Luxembourg | $500,995,000 | +3% |
| 68. | Pakistan | $461,105,000 | +6.9% |
| 69. | Sri Lanka | $433,957,000 | +6.9% |
| 70. | Kenya | $425,498,000 | +10% |
| 71. | Ecuador | $391,994,000 | -2.2% |
| 72. | Latvia | $377,134,000 | -1% |
| 73. | Kuwait | $371,533,000 | -4.1% |
| 74. | Honduras | $351,099,000 | -10% |
| 75. | Tunisia | $343,119,000 | +3.3% |
| 76. | Nigeria | $341,776,000 | -60.1% |
| 77. | El Salvador | $336,946,000 | -7.7% |
| 78. | Jordan | $296,899,000 | -20.7% |
| 79. | Panama | $293,771,000 | -2.7% |
| 80. | Estonia | $288,936,000 | -9.1% |
| 81. | Azerbaijan | $273,296,000 | +2.2% |
| 82. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $264,367,000 | +5.4% |
| 83. | Paraguay | $248,875,000 | +10.7% |
| 84. | Iran | $239,137,000 | -77.7% |
| 85. | Nicaragua | $234,674,000 | -8.1% |
| 86. | Ivory Coast | $215,684,000 | -7.7% |
| 87. | Libya | $209,879,000 | -22.8% |
| 88. | Ghana | $197,031,000 | +18.6% |
| 89. | Lebanon | $193,016,000 | +2.6% |
| 90. | Myanmar | $189,505,000 | -31.3% |
| 91. | Tanzania | $187,127,000 | -1.2% |
| 92. | Uruguay | $184,924,000 | +2.6% |
| 93. | Georgia | $177,659,000 | +2.9% |
| 94. | Uganda | $175,351,000 | +0.4% |
| 95. | Qatar | $164,031,000 | -12% |
| 96. | Malta | $156,809,000 | +0.8% |
| 97. | Venezuela | $156,646,000 | +19.1% |
| 98. | Belarus | $155,773,000 | -25.1% |
| 99. | Cyprus | $153,660,000 | +4.7% |
| 100. | North Macedonia | $151,837,000 | +3.7% |
Focusing on these 100 major buyer countries, the fastest gainers were Uzbekistan (up 31.3% from 2023), Cambodia (up 24.1%), Vietnam (up 19.4%), Venezuela (up 19.1%) then Ghana (up 18.6%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the above table’s columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2023 data was unavailable.
Paper Imported into the United States
America’s global purchases of imported paper totaled US$20.8 billion in 2024. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the US imported the highest dollar value worth of paper during 2024. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2023 to 2024.
- Canada: US$6.9 billion (up 1.2% from 2023)
- mainland China: $3.1 billion (up 3.5%)
- Mexico: $1.7 billion (up 8.7%)
- Finland: $1.1 billion (up 6.2%)
- Germany: $1 billion (up 2.4%)
- Vietnam: $851.7 million (up 21.7%)
- South Korea: $717.3 million (up 20.4%)
- Indonesia: $573.2 million (up 29.1%)
- Sweden: $527.3 million (up 6.6%)
- India: $475.3 million (up 26.1%)
- Brazil: $314.2 million (up 3.8%)
- Italy: $307.5 million (up 4%)
- Taiwan: $302.3 million (up 17.9%)
- France: $288 million (down -0.3%)
- United Kingdom: $276.8 million (down -4.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 88.4% of paper imported by the United States of America in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of paper to United States since 2023 were: Indonesia (up 29.1%), India (up 26.1%), Vietnam (up 21.7%) and South Korea (up 20.4%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their paper supplied to American importers were the United Kingdom (down -4.3% from 2023) and France (down -0.3%).
Overall, the value of America’s imported paper increased by an average 8.2% from all supplying countries since 2023 when paper purchased cost $19.2 billion.
Paper Imported into Germany
Germany’s global purchases of imported paper totaled US$14.6 billion in 2024. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Germany imported the highest dollar value worth of paper during 2024. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2023 to 2024.
- Sweden: US$2 billion (up 9.8% from 2023)
- Poland: $1.9 billion (down -0.1%)
- Austria: $1.6 billion (up 0.7%)
- Finland: $1.28 billion (down -8%)
- Italy: $1.24 billion (down -1.5%)
- France: $1.23 billion (down -0.9%)
- Netherlands: $1.1 billion (down -3.5%)
- mainland China: $620.2 million (up 11.7%)
- Switzerland: $590.3 million (up 2.1%)
- Czech Republic: $448 million (down -2.9%)
- Belgium: $360.2 million (down -15.9%)
- Spain: $289.6 million (up 17.2%)
- United Kingdom: $250.9 million (down -13.6%)
- United States: $223.5 million (down -4.7%)
- Portugal: $220.6 million (up 10.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 90.6% of paper imported by Germany in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of paper to Germany since 2023 were: Spain (up 17.2%), mainland China (up 11.7%), Portugal (up 10.5%) and Sweden (up 9.8%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their paper supplied to German importers included: Belgium (down -15.9% from 2023), United Kingdom (down -13.6%), Finland (down -8%) and United States (down -4.7%).
Overall, the value of Germany’s imported paper flatlined via an average 0.4% gain from all supplying countries since 2023 when paper purchased cost $14.5 billion.
Paper Imported into France
France’s global purchases of imported paper totaled US$9.54 billion in 2024. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which France imported the highest dollar value worth of paper during 2024. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2023 to 2024.
- Germany: US$2.1 billion (down -10.1% from 2023)
- Italy: $1.4 billion (down -6.3%)
- Spain: $1.1 billion (up 1%)
- Belgium: $581.2 million (down -12.8%)
- mainland China: $525.2 million (up 6%)
- Netherlands: $447.1 million (down -9.1%)
- Sweden: $427.9 million (down -6.5%)
- United Kingdom: $408.7 million (up 0.1%)
- Poland: $379.3 million (up 6.6%)
- Finland: $366.6 million (up 3%)
- Austria: $315.2 million (up 3.1%)
- Portugal: $272.2 million (down -14.3%)
- France: $191.8 million (up 16%)
- United States: $128.4 million (up 10.8%)
- Türkiye: $104.2 million (up 13.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 91.5% of paper imported by France in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of paper to France since 2023 were: France (up 16%), Türkiye (up 13.6%), United States of America (up 10.8%) and Poland (up 6.6%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their paper supplied to French importers included: Portugal (down -14.3% from 2023), Belgium (down -12.8%), Germany (down -10.1%) and the Netherlands (down -9.1%).
Overall, the value of France’s imported paper slipped by an average -4.6% from all supplying countries since 2023 when paper purchased cost $10 billion.
Paper Imported into the UK
The United Kingdom’s global purchases of imported paper totaled US$8.24 billion in 2024. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Britain imported the highest dollar value worth of paper during 2024. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2023 to 2024.
- Germany: US$1.3 billion (up 3% from 2023)
- mainland China: $1.1 billion (up 22.2%)
- Sweden: $812.1 million (up 2.7%)
- Finland: $554.6 million (down -8.6%)
- Italy: $514.2 million (up 3.5%)
- France: $443.6 million (down -5.9%)
- Netherlands: $385.7 million (down -11.5%)
- Türkiye: $358.6 million (up 15.2%)
- Poland: $335.6 million (up 7.1%)
- United States: $291.4 million (down -0.1%)
- Spain: $275.3 million (up 9.7%)
- Belgium: $220 million (down -8.1%)
- Austria: $205 million (down -4.4%)
- Portugal: $204.2 million (down -9.7%)
- Ireland: $164.1 million (down -11.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 86.6% of paper imported by the United Kingdom in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of paper to Britain since 2023 were: mainland China (up 22.2%), Türkiye (up 15.2%), Spain (up 9.7%) and Poland (up 7.1%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their paper supplied to UK importers included: Netherlands (down -11.5% from 2023), Ireland (down -11.1%), Portugal (down -9.7%) and Finland (down -8.6%).
Overall, the value of the United Kingdom’s imported paper went up by an average 1.5% from all supplying countries since 2023 when paper purchased cost $8.1 billion.
See also Paper Exports by Country, Top Newsprint Exports by Country, Top Toilet Paper Exporters by Country and Sawn Wood Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on September 6, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 6, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 6, 2025
Wikipedia, Paper. Accessed on September 6, 2025