Overall market growth is slowing, but markets in developing countries grow. Developing countries should offer the best opportunities with market growth around 5 percent. In the BEMs, total market growth should be almost 6 percent annually, but U.S. exports should grow over 8 percent annually. Relatively low-cost raw materials and energy, combined with modern facilities, make U.S. paper producers competitive worldwide. The United States is the world's largest exporter of recovered paper, largely because of the recycling effort in the United States.
Foreign trade is in balance.
In 1994, trade in paper products was in balance, despite sizable imports from Canada. Exports are more important to industry. Moderate export growth is expected. Exports are expected to grow 5 percent annually to the year 2000, with the better opportunities in China, other East Asian countries, and Brazil. The U.S. computer equipment industry controls more than 75 percent of the world computer systems market through global operations, but the United States has had a trade deficit since 1992.