The market demand for cultural paper is characterized by "stable overall volume but differentiated structure," with traditional categories impacted while high-end niche markets continue to grow.
Although the widespread adoption of electronic offices and reading has suppressed demand for traditional categories such as ordinary writing paper and copy paper, educational publishing, the cultural and creative industries, and green consumption trends are injecting new momentum into the market, supporting stable overall demand.
Key Demand Trends:
Educational Publishing Demand is Rigid: Textbook and supplementary material paper remains the "ballast" of cultural paper. Continued increases in national investment in education (education expenditure increased by 4.4% year-on-year in 2023) are driving low-brightness, high-strength environmentally friendly paper to become mainstream. For example, eye-protecting papers such as "Shutong Soft Light Paper" are rapidly replacing traditional offset paper due to their compliance with "dual carbon" targets and vision protection needs.
The Cultural and Creative and Specialty Paper Market is Growing Rapidly: Demand for personalized, high-value-added products such as notebooks, art paper, and handmade Xuan paper is surging. Data shows that the annual growth rate of the creative design paper sub-market exceeds 30%. The integration of intangible cultural heritage techniques with modern design has transformed paper from a mere "carrier" into a "cultural commodity," commanding high premiums in the gift and collectible sectors.
Green consumption drives the widespread adoption of eco-friendly paper. Consumers' preference for eco-friendly paper has significantly increased, leading to rising demand for non-wood pulp paper such as bamboo pulp and bagasse pulp, as well as recycled paper. It is projected that by 2030, the market share of eco-friendly paper will exceed 40%. On the policy front, the "plastic ban" and the "Standard Conditions for the Pulp and Paper Industry" are accelerating the elimination of outdated production capacity and promoting the industry's green transformation.
Digital printing and the rise of customization demand. In commercial printing, demand for digital printing paper continues to grow due to its support for small-batch, fast-delivery orders. Simultaneously, the C2M (Consumer-to-Manufacturer) model is driving personalized customized paper products (such as customized notebooks and wedding invitations) to become a new consumption hotspot.
