Paper-allied industries potential export major

Bangladesh's paper and allied industries have impressively put their footprint on the international market with year-on-year export earnings from the mass-used merchandise growing over 84 per cent last fiscal, sources said.
In a rebound from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, the twin-sector got into its stirring growth momentum with the export earnings having doubled to US$313.20 million in the financial year (FY) 2022-23 from the previous turnover, they said.
Paper and allied products raise hope at a time when country's all manufacturing products have shown negative trend in export earnings, the industry people say.
They have told the FE that apart from the shifting to hi-tech industry by key suppliers like China and India, government policy support and producers' dedication have given impetus to this industry over the years.
The entrepreneurs see huge potential for a better boost to export if they can go for full- capacity production, which will facilitate exploiting unfolding global trade.
They sounds upbeat as the paper-manufacturing segment of the sector in the country, which was once mostly dependant on import, now looks to widen its footprint on the international market amid some fortune change.
According to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data the Bangladeshi paper and paper-allied industries earned US$313.20 million in the just-concluded fiscal year (FY) 2022-23 from their product shipments to different foreign destinations.
In the previous FY2022, the earnings from the export of paper and paper products, newsprint, packing cartoons, toilet paper and printed materials were $169.81 million, the official data showed.
Meanwhile, the export in the FY2021 was affected severely by the pandemic, with the earnings contracting by 31.44 per cent to $107.62 million from $156.98 million in FY2020.
Before the corona impact in FY2020, the earnings from this sector had shown a positive trend.
Industry people say Bangladesh's paper and allied products have been exported to nearly 50 countries across the globe as the demand for the product expands.
Some 50-60 private and public-sector paper mills are in operation in Bangladesh, although more than 106 are registered with government.
Some of those in operation are, however, enhancing their capacity with new variety of paper products to cater modern-day needs at home and abroad.
Paper and paper-goods sector includes writing and printing paper, offset paper, newsprint, tissue and packaging paper.
Nawsherul Alam, General Secretary of Bangladesh Paper Mills Association (BPMA), told the FE that the key paper and paper-product suppliers, China and India, are pivoting their paper industries to hi-tech ones due to environmental and other issues.
"Bangladesh is grabbing those markets, resulting in the ballooning paper export to overseas market," he said.
Mr Alam says Bangladesh's private sector has been trying to expand its export earnings. "We have a target to grab a significant share of the global market. We hope the higher growth trend will be going on in the coming days and will facilitate fulfilling our target."
He adds: "If the government extends its policy and some fiscal supports to the local paper industry, we will be able to achieve our targets."
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Research Director Dr KG Moazzem says it's good news that the paper and its allied industries are doing well after RMG in the export basket.
"But the environmental issues will have to be kept in mind. The local forests should not be affected by the paper industry," he adds.
The BPMA general secretary, Nawsherul Alam, says they do not use the local bamboo or wood in paper production rather they used the country's recycled paper and imported pulp.