Printing companies involved in both manufacturing and utilizing printing paper have reported that paper prices are currently rising sharply due to a shortage of supply from China, ranging from raw materials to finished paper products.

China’s paper collection is driving up paper prices.

Prices for different types of paper have surged in the past few months, affecting revenues for printing machines and publishers.

The price of printing paper is around 17.5-18.5 million VND (768-812 USD) per ton, an increase of 1.5-2.5 million VND (65-110 USD) compared to the end of last year.

Cushioning paper has seen a price increase from 19.5 million VND ($856) since mid-February to 23.5-24 million VND ($1,032-1,054) per ton.

Duong Chi Thanh, Vice General Director of Vinh Tien Joint Stock Company, stated that paper prices have risen due to high-cost imported raw materials.

Many Chinese companies are purchasing large quantities of paper raw materials and paper products, leading to shortages and higher prices.

“Some paper importers have indicated that prices will continue to rise, especially during the harvest season,” Mr. Thanh said.

Packaging manufacturers believe that the price increase has also affected the price of paper rolls since late last year.

The rapid increase in paper prices has caused difficulties for printing businesses.

Experts believe that prices have risen in many countries because several nations have restricted paper production due to environmental concerns. A paper industry expert added that the trend of rising pulp prices is due to many countries limiting production to minimize environmental impact. In Vietnam, the number of paper mills is very limited, so high-quality paper products are heavily reliant on global raw materials. Therefore, when global raw material prices increase, production costs for Vietnamese companies also rise accordingly.

About 10 years ago, the Chinese government closed down some paper and pulp mills, resulting in an annual paper shortage of 10 million tons,” said Han Vinh Quang, former chairman of the Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association.

In the first four months of the year, Vietnam imported approximately 465,000 tons of paper, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year. The main imported paper products are high-quality packaging paper, tissue paper, and printing paper.

At the same time, domestic enterprises exported 187,000 tons of paper, approximately 400% higher than the same period last year.

Last year, Vietnam imported paper and paper products worth $2.5 billion, including $600 million from China.