New Study Forecasts India's Log Imports and Recovered Paper Demand to Double By 2016

Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 17 September 2007/PRNewswire/ -- India is poised to significantly affect the global recovered paper market with a 7.9% annual growth in demand for recovered paper through 2016, according to "India's Forest Products Industry," a new study on India's forest products industry published by RISI. This growth will make India the second-largest recovered paper market in the world, after China.

The study also forecasts Indian imports of logs, primarily hardwood from Southeast Asia and Africa and softwood from New Zealand and Australia, to double between 2006 and 2016.

"With its strong economic growth and huge population, people often ask me if India is going to be the next China in forest products," said Robert Flynn, director, International Timber at RISI, referring to the enormous impact Chinese growth has had on the global forest products industry. The new study shows that the development of India's paper and wood industries will take a different path than that of China. "While we expect strong, continued growth in India's consumption of both wood and paper products over the next 10 years, we also see major hurdles that will make it difficult for India to reach China's level of demand in any particular product category."

About RISI

RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the wood products, timber, pulp and paper, tissue, nonwovens, printing, and publishing industries to help them make better decisions.