China Eases Recycled Paper Tariffs

Starting this week, Chinese importers can now apply for tariff exemptions for old corrugated cardboard (OCC) and other recovered fiber. The Chinese government will consider the exemptions on a company-by-company basis.

This news follows tariff updates provided by the country last month. On February 6, China said that it will cut in half the additional tariffs on $75 billion of American products that were imposed late last year, a sign that Beijing is implementing the phase one deal with United States.

The original retaliatory tariffs imposed in 2018 will remain. Thus, for aluminum scrap, the final tariff is down from 55 percent to 52.5 percent, and for recovered paper, cullet and copper scrap, the final tariff is down from 30 percent to 27.5 percent for the rest.

Resource Recycling has more information:

The Chinese government will consider exempting tariffs on OCC and other recovered fiber on a company-by-company basis. Meanwhile, a tariff on U.S. recycled paper pulp shipments into China has been lifted for one year.

Multiple grades of recovered fiber have faced a 25% tariff levied by the Chinese government since mid-2018, and recycled paper pulp has been hit with a tariff that began at 10% and later increased to 20%.

These tariffs were retained even when the Chinese and U.S. governments recently signed an agreement to halt some planned tariff increases.

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