News

China's paper and paper products industry has maintained a steady recovery momentum in the first two months of 2026, with revenue and profit growing by 4.4% and 6.1% year-on-year respectively. Driven by policy support and technological innovation, the sector is accelerating its shift toward green, low-carbon and intelligent manufacturing, with leading enterprises actively upgrading operations.

Recent data shows a clear market divergence. Packaging paper, including corrugated and boxboard, has seen successive price hikes since March, supported by tight waste paper supply, scheduled mill maintenance and recovering downstream demand. Meanwhile, specialty paper manufacturers have implemented a new round of price increases (around 500 yuan/ton) to offset rising raw material and energy costs. In contrast, tissue paper profitability has improved as imported wood pulp prices softened.

Policy is a key catalyst. In early April, nine Chinese ministries jointly released the Action Plan for the Innovation and Development of the Internet of Things Industry (2026–2028), promoting IoT applications in smart logistics packaging and full-chain traceability. This is expected to drive the paper packaging sector toward deeper digitalization and green upgrading. Concurrently, intensified environmental inspections are pushing mills to phase out outdated capacity and adopt cleaner production.

In Shandong, a major paper-producing province, the transformation is gaining speed. Local authorities are prioritizing low-energy pulping, dry-forming technologies and digital quality control. Many mills are building smart factories and adopting AI-driven process monitoring to boost efficiency.

Shandong Ludao Energy Technology Co., Ltd., a professional paper production line solution provider, is at the forefront of this technical upgrade. The firm offers one-stop services including on-site diagnosis, system design, equipment retrofitting and paper chemicals supply. Its tailored solutions for energy saving, capacity optimization and paper quality improvement have been widely adopted by mills across China, helping clients reduce operational costs and meet stricter environmental standards.

Industry observers note the sector is moving from scale expansion to high-quality development, with pulp-paper integration and circular economy models becoming core competitive advantages. As demand gradually rebounds and transformation deepens, China's paper industry is poised for healthier, more sustainable growth in 2026.