Trade experts see the wastepaper exports as a measure of confidence in the U.S. retail economy because much of the material is turned into packaging for toys, electronics and other consumer goods produced at China's factories.
America Chung Nam, the sister company and supplier of wastepaper to China’s largest containerboard manufacturer, was the largest American exporter of containerized goods by volume in 2010 for the 10th year in a row, according to the latest Journal of Commerce Top 100 Importers and Exporters annual rankings.
The California-based company shipped a total of 300,800 20-foot equivalent units from the U.S. in 2010. The volume was 16 percent ahead of the 259,300 TEUs America Chung Nam exported in 2009.