China Printing Consumables Export Unaffected by Tariff War in Q1

According to China’s customs data up to the end of March, Chinese printing consumables exports experienced a quarter-on-quarter decline in the first quarter of 2025, although they had not yet been affected by the tariff war with the U.S.

Total consumables exports amounted to CNY 8.31 billion (USD 1.14 billion), down 0.8% year-on-year. Laser printer and copier consumables remained the top export products, accounting for almostly 90% of all shipments. Still, their exports declined by 2.4% compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, inkjet consumables and color ribbons saw notable increases of 17% and 12.5% each.

When analyzing provincial performance, Guangdong retained its leading position in the export of most printing consumables. Its Q1 exports reached CNY 4.93 billion (USD 0.68 billion), accounting for nearly 60% of China’s total. This commanding lead persisted across most segments, including inkjet, laser, and copier consumables. However, in the color ribbon sector, Guangdong’s dominance was less pronounced. Although it remained the top exporter with CNY 113 million (USD 15.55 million) worth of color ribbons, the gap narrowed with Zhejiang, which followed closely with exports totaling CNY 108.8 million (USD 14.97 million).

The U.S. was the largest buyer of Chinese laser and copier consumables in the first quarter, importing approximately CNY 1.19 billion (USD 163.77 million) worth of products. It was followed by Japan (CNY 1.05 billion/USD 144.50 million), the Hong Kong SAR of China (CNY 753 million/USD 103.63 million), the Netherlands (CNY 519 million/USD 71.43 million), and Vietnam (CNY 299 million/USD 41.15 million). These top five destinations for Chinese printing consumables remained unchanged from 2024.

In other categories, India was the largest importer of Chinese inkjet consumables, while the U.S. was also the biggest contributor to China’s color ribbon export business.

Sources：rtmworld