China's imports and exports of household paper and sanitary products in the first half of 2025

Household paper

Exports

In the first half of 2025, household paper exports totaled 778,300 tons, up 19.06% from the same period in 2024. The export value was US$1.219 billion, down 1.77% from the same period in 2024, showing a trend of increasing volume and decreasing prices. Exported products remain primarily finished goods, with finished goods accounting for 69.41% of total exports in the first half of 2025 (69.06% in the first half of 2024), marking an increase compared to the same period in 2024. Among finished paper products, handkerchief paper and facial tissue saw the fastest growth in export volume, at 33.86%.

Imports

In the first half of 2025, the total import volume of household paper increased compared to the same period in 2024, but the import volume remained small, at only 22,300 tons. Among imported products, raw paper still accounted for the majority, representing 90.57% of the total import volume.

Absorbent Hygiene Products

Exports

In the first half of 2025, the total export volume of absorbent hygiene products reached 840,400 tons, with an export value of 2.203 billion USD, both maintaining double-digit growth rates of 16.01% and 11.00%, respectively. Exports were still dominated by Infant Diapers, accounting for 42.83% of total exports, with infant diaper exports reaching 359,900 tons, up 24.07% year-on-year.

Among these, exports of products under the commodity code 48189000 (other household, sanitary, or hospital supplies made of pulp, paper, etc.), such as pet pads and care pads, decreased by 4,068.60 tons in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, marking the first decline in recent years. The analysis attributes this to the impact of the United States imposing additional tariffs on China's exports during the second quarter. Exports to the United States, the top destination for products under this code, decreased by 5,184.61 tons in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

Imports

In the first half of 2025, imports of absorbent sanitary products remained low, with a total import volume of 12,100 tons, having a minimal impact on the domestic consumer market.

The import volume of sanitary napkins has remained stable in recent years, with the annual total import volume maintaining around 12,000 tons. In 2024, the import volume of sanitary napkins decreased by 3,268.58 tons compared to 2023, indicating that sanitary napkin products can now meet the needs of domestic consumers. In the first half of 2025, sanitary napkin imports increased by 1,092.35 tons compared to the same period in 2024. The growth was attributed to the “sanitary napkin public opinion incident” in November 2024, which led to an increase in imports from Japan. In the first half of 2025, imports of sanitary napkins from Japan increased by 1,254.51 tons.