Pandemic shreds office paper demand as global telework unfolds

Producers turn to tissues and household goods after COVID trashes 30% of market

Workers unload paper pulp in China. The world's biggest paper producer has already been hit by the trade war and now must deal with office and school closures due to the coronavirus. © AP

AZUSA SUGIHARA, Nikkei staff writer

July 18, 2020 10:00 JST

TOKYO -- Global demand for paper is falling as business slows, schools close and telework grows amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Production of office print paper in developed countries crumpled by 20% to 30% year on year since spring, with some countries showing even steeper declines than during the 2008 financial crisis. The U.S. saw production decline 31.3% in April compared with an 11.6% drop in January-March, according to the Japan Paper Association.