UN Comtrade • Latest complete year: 2024
48 - Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard (HS 48)
Global exports
$180.25B
Global imports
$175.08B
Top exporter share
16.5%
Top importer share
11.9%
- In 2024, the global export value for Paper and Paperboard was $180.3B.
- The total value of global imports for this product category was $175.1B.
- China was the leading exporter, shipping $29.8B worth of goods, which represents 16.5% of the global total.
- The United States was the largest importer, receiving 11.9% of the world's imports, valued at $20.8B.
- Germany is a significant participant in the market, ranking as the second-largest exporter ($20.9B) and second-largest importer ($13.8B).
Global Trade Overview
In 2024, the international market for Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard (HS2 48) saw exports totaling $180.3B and imports at $175.1B. The trade is led by a few key countries, with China dominating exports and the United States leading imports. The top three exporting nations account for 36.7% of the total export value.
See also: ChinaUnited States
Top Trading Nations
The leading exporter of paper and paperboard is China, with an export value of $29.8B (16.5% share). Following China are Germany with $20.9B (11.6%) and the United States with $15.4B (8.6%). On the import side, the United States is the primary destination, with imports of $20.8B (11.9%). Other major importers include Germany ($13.8B, 7.9%) and France ($9.5B, 5.5%).
Sub-product Categories (HS4)
Within the paper and paperboard category, the most traded sub-product (HS4) is 'Cartons, boxes, cases, bags and the like' (4819), which represents 16.8% of the total HS2 export value. This is followed by 'Paper and paperboard, coated one or both sides with kaolin' (4810), making up another 13.7% of exports.
Quick insights
- China is the top exporter (16.5% of reported exports).
- USA is the top importer (11.9% of reported imports).
- Top 3 exporter concentration: 36.7%.
- Top 5 exporter concentration: 46.5%.
Notes: Shares are relative to reported totals in the dataset for the selected year.
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Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard - product groups (4-digit) by top countries (Exports), 2024 (USD)
Top 10 countries with the leading 6 product groups (4-digit); remainder grouped as Other.
Flow: Exports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard - country rank by trade value (Exports), 2015-2024 (USD)
Ranks show the top 10 countries by latest-year value (rank 1 is largest).
Flow: Exports | Years: 2015-2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
Global export trend
Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard - exports over time (Exports), 2015-2024 (USD)
Annual reported exports across available years.
Flow: Exports | Years: 2015-2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
HS4 drilldown
Built: 2026-01-12T08:07:47Z • Snapshot: 20251222
HS4 subcategories within HS 48 for 2024 (partner = World). Values are summed across reporting economies; coverage varies by reporter and year.
Exports
Coverage vs HS2: 99.1%
Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard - top 4-digit product groups by export share (Exports), 2024 (USD)
Leading 4-digit product groups by export value.
Flow: Exports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
| HS4 | Subcategory | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4819 | Cartons, boxes, cases, bags and… | $30.28B | 16.8% |
| 4810 | Paper and paperboard, coated on… | $24.75B | 13.7% |
| 4811 | Paper, paperboard, cellulose wa… | $21.21B | 11.8% |
| 4802 | Uncoated paper and paperboard,… | $16.49B | 9.2% |
| 4805 | Uncoated paper and paperboard n… | $15.34B | 8.5% |
| 4818 | Toilet paper, width 36cm or les… | $14.49B | 8.0% |
| 4804 | Uncoated kraft paper and paperb… | $13.50B | 7.5% |
| 4823 | Paper, paperboard, cellulose wa… | $12.75B | 7.1% |
| 4821 | Paper or paperboard labels of a… | $5.67B | 3.1% |
| 4820 | Registers, account books, diari… | $5.02B | 2.8% |
| 4803 | Tissue, towel, napkin stock or… | $4.96B | 2.8% |
| 4801 | Newsprint, in rolls or sheets | $2.70B | 1.5% |
Subcategory names are truncated; hover to see the full description.
Fastest-growing HS4 (CAGR 2019–2024)
Filter: start-year value ≥ $1.00M
| HS4 | Subcategory | CAGR | 2024 value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4823 | Paper, paperboard, cellulose wa… | 7.4% | $12.75B |
| 4806 | Vegetable parchment, greaseproo… | 5.2% | $2.35B |
| 4813 | Cigarette paper, whether or not… | 4.7% | $1.97B |
| 4812 | Filter blocks, slabs and plates… | 4.7% | $244.07M |
| 4805 | Uncoated paper and paperboard n… | 4.0% | $15.34B |
| 4818 | Toilet paper, width 36cm or les… | 3.3% | $14.49B |
| 4819 | Cartons, boxes, cases, bags and… | 3.2% | $30.28B |
| 4803 | Tissue, towel, napkin stock or… | 3.1% | $4.96B |
Imports
Coverage vs HS2: 99.2%
Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard - top 4-digit product groups by import share (Imports), 2024 (USD)
Leading 4-digit product groups by import value.
Flow: Imports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
| HS4 | Subcategory | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4819 | Cartons, boxes, cases, bags and… | $27.09B | 15.5% |
| 4810 | Paper and paperboard, coated on… | $23.82B | 13.6% |
| 4811 | Paper, paperboard, cellulose wa… | $20.52B | 11.7% |
| 4802 | Uncoated paper and paperboard,… | $16.40B | 9.4% |
| 4805 | Uncoated paper and paperboard n… | $16.37B | 9.3% |
| 4818 | Toilet paper, width 36cm or les… | $14.35B | 8.2% |
| 4804 | Uncoated kraft paper and paperb… | $14.14B | 8.1% |
| 4823 | Paper, paperboard, cellulose wa… | $11.39B | 6.5% |
| 4821 | Paper or paperboard labels of a… | $5.34B | 3.1% |
| 4803 | Tissue, towel, napkin stock or… | $5.20B | 3.0% |
| 4820 | Registers, account books, diari… | $4.26B | 2.4% |
| 4801 | Newsprint, in rolls or sheets | $3.31B | 1.9% |
Subcategory names are truncated; hover to see the full description.
Fastest-growing HS4 (CAGR 2019–2024)
Filter: start-year value ≥ $1.00M
| HS4 | Subcategory | CAGR | 2024 value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4806 | Vegetable parchment, greaseproo… | 5.5% | $2.63B |
| 4823 | Paper, paperboard, cellulose wa… | 5.4% | $11.39B |
| 4805 | Uncoated paper and paperboard n… | 5.2% | $16.37B |
| 4818 | Toilet paper, width 36cm or les… | 5.1% | $14.35B |
| 4812 | Filter blocks, slabs and plates… | 3.8% | $191.46M |
| 4803 | Tissue, towel, napkin stock or… | 3.6% | $5.20B |
| 4819 | Cartons, boxes, cases, bags and… | 2.8% | $27.09B |
| 4822 | Bobbins, spools, cops and simil… | 2.7% | $464.81M |
Explore country profiles
Jump from this HS2 product to the country trade pages for the largest exporters and importers.
Top exporters
Top trade routes
Top exporter → importer routes among the largest exporters (bounded at build-time).
| Exporter | Importer | Value | Share of exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada (CAN) | USA (USA) | $6.70B | 3.7% |
| USA (USA) | Canada (CAN) | $5.93B | 3.3% |
| USA (USA) | Mexico (MEX) | $4.27B | 2.4% |
| China (CHN) | USA (USA) | $3.80B | 2.1% |
| Germany (DEU) | Poland (POL) | $2.46B | 1.4% |
| Germany (DEU) | France (FRA) | $2.32B | 1.3% |
| Poland (POL) | Germany (DEU) | $2.04B | 1.1% |
| Mexico (MEX) | USA (USA) | $1.86B | 1.0% |
| Germany (DEU) | Netherlands (NLD) | $1.85B | 1.0% |
| Sweden (SWE) | Germany (DEU) | $1.71B | 1.0% |
| China (CHN) | Viet Nam (VNM) | $1.65B | 0.9% |
| Italy (ITA) | France (FRA) | $1.45B | 0.8% |
| Germany (DEU) | Italy (ITA) | $1.34B | 0.7% |
| Austria (AUT) | Germany (DEU) | $1.33B | 0.7% |
| Netherlands (NLD) | Germany (DEU) | $1.31B | 0.7% |
Data notes & methodology
Source: UN Comtrade
Exports total: $180.25B • Imports total: $175.08B
Canonical: https://tradevedia.com/product/hs2/48/