Composite paper and paperboard made by sticking layers together with an adhesive not surface coated or impregnated whether or not internally reinforced in rolls or sheets market in Romania

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018, the Romanian market for adhesive-laminated composite paper and paperboard faced persistent pressure from high energy costs and a shortage of raw materials due to massive exports of waste paper, which eroded the competitiveness of local producers. This led to a structural reliance on imports, evident in import volumes consistently exceeding 5,500 tonnes annually through 2020. During this period, the market saw consolidation and investment interest, exemplified by the acquisition of Romanian firms EcoPack and EcoPaper by the international packaging group DS Smith and Dunapack Rambox's purchase of land for a new carton packaging plant near Bucharest.

The period from 2021 to 2023 was marked by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain disruptions, which exacerbated raw material availability issues. Soaring prices for inputs like titanium dioxide in 2022 contributed to a 39% surge in the market's value to $7.4 million, even as physical volume growth was modest. By 2023, sustained high costs for energy and raw materials precipitated a sharp contraction in domestic production, which fell to 198 tonnes, while imports adjusted to meet demand, resulting in a 16% drop in total market volume to 5,607 tonnes.

In 2024, market volume rebounded strongly to 7,909 tonnes, driven by increased demand for paper and carton packaging, particularly from the e-commerce and protective packaging segments. However, domestic production collapsed further to just 30 tonnes as producers continued to suffer from high energy and raw material costs. This surge was supplied entirely by imports, which jumped to 7,905 tonnes, highlighting the market's growing import dependency. Concurrently, Dunapack Rambox began investments for its new carton packaging factory, signaling long-term commitment to the local packaging sector despite near-term challenges.

Production adhesive-laminated composite paper and paperboard in Romania

According to Faostat, there is no production of adhesive-laminated composite paper and paperboard in Romania.

Exports adhesive-laminated composite paper and paperboard from Romania

Exports in kind, t

Romania's exports of composite paper and paperboard in rolls or sheets declined for the third consecutive year. In 2020, exports totaled 41 tons, marking a 47.4% decrease compared to 2019. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, exports fell by 93.2%, which translates to an annualized decline rate of 59.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Romania in kind, 2017-2020, t

Between 2017 and 2020, Germany and Serbia together accounted for 87.5% of Romania's total exports in kind, with the remaining flows distributed thinly across other markets.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Romania in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Market performance showed noticeable fluctuations during this period. Exports peaked in 2017 and reached their lowest point in 2020, with a 29-fold variation between these years. In 2020, Romania's exports of composite paper and paperboard in rolls or sheets amounted to 61 thousand US dollars, a 44.5% drop from the previous year. The largest decline occurred in 2018 at 94.4%, while the largest increase was recorded in 2019 at 10.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Romania in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

From 2017 to 2020, Germany clearly dominated Romania's exports in value terms, capturing 83.6% of total flows. Other countries each held significantly smaller shares.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Romania in value, 2017-2020

Imports adhesive-laminated composite paper and paperboard to Romania

Imports in kind, t

Romania's imports of composite paper and paperboard in rolls or sheets declined for the second consecutive year. In 2020, imports amounted to 4 849 tons, reflecting a 12.4% decrease compared to 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, imports decreased by 11.5%, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -4.0%. The maximum volume was recorded in 2018 at 5 680 tons, which also saw the largest increase of 3.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Romania in kind, 2017-2020, t

During 2017–2020, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands remained the main suppliers of composite paper and paperboard in rolls or sheets to Romania. Germany accounted for 32.7% of imports in kind, Italy for 21.5%, and the Netherlands for 20.5%, jointly forming 74.7% of total imports in kind.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Romania in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Cross-border shipments of composite paper and paperboard in rolls or sheets to Romania declined for the second consecutive year. In 2020, Romania imported these goods worth 61 thousand US dollars, down by 11.4% from the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, imports decreased by 16.4%, equating to an annualized decline rate of 5.8%. The maximum value was recorded in 2018 at 4 723 thousand US dollars, which also saw the largest increase of 7.0%. The largest decline occurred in 2019 at 11.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Romania in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Over 2017–2020, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands were the main suppliers of composite paper and paperboard in rolls or sheets to Romania in value terms. Germany held 28.6% of imports, Italy 23.5%, and the Netherlands 20.3%, together comprising 72.5% of total imports in value.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Romania in value, 2017-2020