Containerboard Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Exponential growth in global trade:  Cartons, corrugated paper or board, and cases amounted to a trade value of USD 11.4 billion in 2022 and China (USD 1.7 billion) was the biggest exporter and the U.S. (USD 966 million) was the top importer. It ranked as the 340^th most procured product out of 4648 items, representing 0.048% of the worldwide trade.

Containerboard (including cartons & corrugated paper) Global Trade, 2022

Source: OEC

The U.S. pulp and paper machinery export exhibited a flat trajectory of USD 166 million between October 2024 and November 2024. In terms of other connected markets, the corrugated paper was worth USD 2.51 billion in world trade and a CAGR of 2.62% in 2022. The U.S. (USD 582 million) was the top country denoting outbound trade and Mexico (USD 319 million) was the key importer. Corrugated paper’s highest import potential is Germany, with a gap of USD 3.49 million; export potential is China, underpinning a gap of USD 4.24 million.  In 2022, paper containers were the 45th most traded item and valued at USD 32.8 million. The industry grew by 8.57% between 2021 and 2022, denoting 0.14% of the overall world trade.

• Massive boom in online shopping and end-to-end logistics: It was estimated that more than 2.5 billion individuals purchased necessary goods online in 2020. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), the global B2B e-commerce has a 14.5% CAGR and is projected at USD 36,163 billion by the end of 2026. Heavy industry including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy, and business product and services segments contribute to the majority of this B2B sales. Asia Pacific held 79.7% of e-commerce GMV in 2025 and is projected to comprise 80.0% B2B market share by 2026.
  
  November 2024 quarterly retail e-commerce sales report (all seasonally adjusted) by the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce suggests that U.S. retail e-commerce sales for Q3 2024, was USD 300.1 billion, a 2.6% surge from Q2. Cumulative retail sales in Q3 stood at USD 1,849.9 billion, a 1.3% rise from the previous quarter. Also, the e-commerce upsurge in Q3 was 7.4% higher than Q3 2023, while retail sales grew by 2.1% in the same stipulated timeframe. Furthermore, the World Bank’s logistics performance index (LPI) showcases the performance of trade logistics that determine the containerboard market positioning.

Global LPI Ranking of Key Countries, 2023

Source: The World Bank

The logistics subsector has created numerous employment opportunities. As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of logisticians in 2023 was 237,100, and a CAGR of 19% between 2023 and 2033. The employment change in the same timeframe is estimated at 45,800. About 26,100 new job opportunities are expected by the end of 2033. As of May 2023, the logisticians' median yearly wages in top industries included federal government (USD 95,890), manufacturing (USD 82,410), companies and enterprises management (USD 81,890), scientific, professional, and technical services (USD 80,160), and wholesale trade (USD 72,200).