Paper and paperboard imports from ASEAN surge 14 pc in Apr-Sept period: IPMA

New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) Imports of paper and paperboard from ASEAN countries surged by 14 per cent in the first half of FY202526, continuing an alarming trend that has seen import volumes from ASEAN grow at over 30 per cent CAGR over the past four years, industry body IPMA said on Monday.

Citing the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics data, the Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) said that imports from ASEAN countries reached 2.07 lakh tonnes in the first half of FY26 compared to 1.82 lakh tonnes in the same period last year.

ASEAN now accounts for over 20 per cent of India’s total paper and paperboard imports, which were over 2 million tonnes in FY25, the IPMA said.

IPMA President Pawan Agarwal said, "The Indian paper industry has invested more than Rs 30,000 crore in recent years to modernise capacities, adopt clean and green technologies, improve product quality, and promote agroforestry.

"These investments, and the future of the domestic industry, are being seriously jeopardised by predatory imports being dumped into India, particularly from countries such as Indonesia and China.” The challenge is aggravated by trade agreements that provide huge duty concessions, he said.

While imports under the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) attract nil import duty, paper imports from China enjoy a 30 per cent duty concession under the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA).

IPMA stated that export-driven economies such as Indonesia and China are increasingly using India as a dumping ground for their surplus paper and paperboard. PTI RR MR MR