Indian paper stocks eye gains as government may tighten controls on imports
The Government of India is planning to tighten controls on substandard paper imports, particularly from China, by introducing a new Quality Control Order (QCO). This move has impacted the stocks of domestic paper mills which include Andhra Paper, JK Paper, Orient Paper, Seshasayee Paper & Boards, Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Papers and West Coast Paper Mills.
20 Jun 2025 | By Prabhat Prakash
Paper mill stocks have seen a healthy spike of 10-35% in the last quarter
Readers of PrintWeek will recall that a couple of weeks ago, the Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) has expressed serious concerns over the record surge in paper and paperboard imports, which reached 2.05 million tonnes in the fiscal year 2024-25. This represents a significant 33% jump in volume from China alone. In monetary terms, these imports amounted to nearly INR 15,000-crore in FY25.
According to data cited by the IPMA from the Commerce Ministry, paper and paperboard imports have more than doubled in the past four years, escalating from 1.08 million tonnes in FY21. Today, China accounts for 27% of the total paper and paperboard imports into India, while the ASEAN bloc contributes 20%. The value of imports notched nearly USD 1.81 billion during the year, with China's share being approximately USD 800 million.
The curb on paper product imports is expected to benefit domestic paper manufacturing firms which include the paper majors like Orient Paper and JK Paper.
These include paper mills stocks of Agio Paper and NR Agarwal Industries plus companies like Andhra Paper, Astron Paper & Board Mill, Shree Rama Newsprint, Tamil Nadu Newsprint, West Coast Paper, etc.
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