MQT3001 wrote:It's far cheaper to produce paper in developing nations such as China & Brazil. Between Labor costs and environmental regulations, it's hard to run a profitable paper operation in the Untied States. It's easier to just make it in China and put it into those wonderful boxes.
When you think about it, railroads still get hundreds of carloads of shipping containers filled with paper, also not forgetting paper scraps being shipped to recycling facilities.
Does anyone know if we're importing paper from China? All the paper we get through Avon is shipped in 50' box cars with cushioned under frames. Scrap paper usually goes through in the same style of box cars. Crawfordsville, IN gets both, Paper for RR Donnelly, and scrap paper for Inland Container.
I'd imagine the decline in the paper industry has more to do with the decline in paper media, than importing paper from China. Granted, some of that is probably the packaging that is being produced there to box up their crap, but newspapers are dwindling, magazine subscriptions are falling, general mailings are dwindling, books are turning electronic, etc. Most of that was produced *locally* in the states or in Canada. I highly doubt we were importing that kind of paper from China. Believe it or not, it is a damage sensitive commodity, so shipping it over the Pacific Ocean would probably result in more harm than good. I believe that most of the newsprint grade paper comes from Canada now, at least the paper the Indy Star uses is. There was a big brew-ha-ha a few years ago about Canadian manufacturers being able to undercut US paper companies.
Just look at how the paper industry in SW Michigan has been decimated. Outside of Graphic Packaging in K-zoo, are any of the other mills still operating? Parchments mills are gone, Plainwell gone, Otsego's mill was shut down for awhile, until a new buyer could be found. All of that occurred before China became the manufacturing monster that it is.
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