In 1988, China used 3.084 million tons of waste paper. This number had risen 6.2 times by 2003, to 19.2 million tons. At present, pulp from waste paper stands at 52% of the total amount of pulp used in paper making. To help serve the substantial reliance on waste paper that China's paper industry currently faces, imports have risen to make China the world's number one importer of waste paper, Consumption Daily reports. In 1988, just 384,000 tons were brought into the country, while in 2004, this number had risen to 12.3069 million. Projected figures for 2005 show that waste paper imports have already broken 16 million tons. In 2003, China accounted for 36.8% of the world marker for waste paper, which stood at 25.5 million tons. That year, the United States exported 13.9 million tons, of which 5.92 million were sold to China. China's imports from Europe that year accounted for 75% of the continent's exports. And in 2004, China's waste paper imports represented 48% of the tradeable total for the entire world. However, the combination of rapidly increasing domestic demand for waste paper with an international waste paper market that is not growing as quickly means that China will have to look for other ways to satisfy its industry. And, like China, other countries have been adding equipment in recent years to allow the use of waste paper in their manufacturing plants. China currently recycles just 30.6% of the paper it produces, so it is crucial for the industry to increase this amount if it is to maintain its current rate of growth. Link: http://xfrb.com.cn/xfrbmap/2006-03/16/content_107208.htm