China tightens national standard for recycled pulp imports

China's revised national standard for recycled pulp (GB/T 43393) takes effect on 1 October 2026, banning the use of contaminated feedstock such as household waste paper and medical paper in recycled pulp production. The standard adds microbial disinfection and heavy-metal testing requirements and is intended to support customs inspection of imported recycled pulp, on which China's paper industry relies heavily due to limited domestic fibre supply.

Why this mattersTighter import specifications raise compliance costs and could constrain recycled-fibre supply for China's paperboard makers, who depend heavily on imported recycled pulp.

• The revised national standard 《再生纸浆》 (Recycled Pulp) takes effect 1 October 2026.
• It bans use of discarded household paper and medical paper as feedstock for recycled pulp.
• It defines dry and wet recycled pulp processes, requiring sorting, shredding, screening, impurity removal and pulping, excluding simply cut or baled waste paper scraps.
• It adds a sterilisation step and limits on bacterial and fungal colony counts and specific pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
• It introduces ICP-MS testing for heavy metals and hydraulic pulping for contaminant measurement.
• China's paper industry has a high reliance on imported fibre, including recycled pulp, to secure raw material supply.

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