The world’s three largest paper producing countries are China, the United States, and Japan. These three countries account for over half of total global paper production. The leading paper importing and exporting countries are Germany and the United States.
The U.S. pulp and paper industry produces about 78 million tons of paper per year worth US$187 billion. It employs 373,400 people, with an annual payroll of over $30 billion. The U.S. paper mills industry was valued at $34.3 billion in 2020. The industry employs around 50,000 people across more than 200 businesses.
China remained the world’s largest paper producer in 2017 with 127.5 million tons.
A pulp mill converts wood chips into fiber board to be shipped to a paper mill for processing into paper.
How much does the paper industry make a year?
How much is the paper business worth?