Russia to face with acute paper shortage this year

A shortage of paper may lead to the collapse of the Russian book publishing market already this year, according to recent statements, made by representatives of some leading local publishers and local media reports.

In recent months, Russia has faced a shortage of offset paper, which, according to analysts, may lead to the growth of prices for books by 15-20%.

According to some Russian media reports, the current shortage forces local publishers to suspend the release of their novelties, planned for the first half of the current year.

In addition to book publishers, the ever-deepening paper shortage has already hit other local industries in Russia, particularly cardboard packaging.

The situation is complicated by the lack of production of many types of paper within the territory of Russia.

According to some official statistics, about 80% of paper products, including offset paper for printing books and brochures, as well as label paper and cardboard for packaging production, are imported to Russia from abroad. So far, the main suppliers of these goods to Russia used to be China and European countries although due to the pandemic the volume of their supplies has significantly declined.

Currently, Russia accounts for 25% of the world’s forest resources, however, the country’s paper sector remains largely undeveloped.

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