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Month in Statistics
U.S. production of paper and paperboard (seasonally unadjusted) in 1997 rose a robust 5.2%, according to preliminary data from the American Forest & Paper Assn. Paper production through December reached 44.8 million tons, a 5.5% increase over the 42.47 million tons in 1996. Total paperboard production was 50.27 million tons, a 5% increase over 1996’ 47.9 million.
Most major grades turned in production or shipment numbers that were higher in 1997, with the exception of unbleached kraft, down 4%, and some grades of unbleached kraft paperboard. Printing/writing paper shipments increased by 7.9% to 26.8 million tons, and tissue was up by 2.2% to 6.4 million tons.
Shipments of newsprint from U.S. mills rebounded 4.7% in 1997 to 7.25 million short tons, a new record high after declining to 6.93 million short tons in 1996. Newsprint production rose 3.8%. Containerboard production rose 5.5% and corrugated box shipments rose 3.3% last year.
Total U.S. market pulp shipments rose 3.8% to 8.67 million tons, and consumption of recovered paper at U.S. mills was up 7.2% to 36.7 million tons.
|
Latest month
(000 short tons) |
% change
from
year ago |
Annualized
year-to-date
(000 short tons) |
% change
from
year ago |
| PAPER AND PAPERBOARD PRODUCTION1 |
| Newsprint |
December |
607 |
1.2 |
7,215 |
3.8 |
| Uncoated groundwood (s) |
December |
185 |
13.5 |
2,070 |
2.1 |
| Coated paper (s) |
December |
803 |
10.0 |
9,332 |
14.0 |
| Uncoated free-sheet 7 |
December |
1,169 |
11.0 |
13,855 |
5.3 |
| Other printing/writing 7 |
December |
115 |
-2.5 |
1,565 |
-6.1 |
| Total packaging and other paper |
December |
349 |
-5.4 |
4,387 |
-0.2 |
| Tissue |
December |
534 |
-0.7 |
6,398 |
2.2 |
| Total paper |
December |
3,761 |
5.0 |
44,822 |
5.5 |
| Unbleached kraft paperboard |
December |
1,921 |
1.3 |
23,151 |
4.4 |
| Semichemical medium |
December |
489 |
-5.2 |
6,053 |
7.7 |
| Bleached paperboard |
December |
467 |
-1.1 |
5,539 |
5.8 |
| Recycled paperboard |
December |
1,269 |
1.8 |
15,534 |
4.5 |
| Total paperboard |
December |
4,146 |
0.7 |
50,276 |
5.0 |
| Total paper and paperboard 5 |
December |
7,907 |
2.7 |
95,098 |
5.2 |
| PULP, WASTEPAPER, AND FIBER2 |
| Total woodpulp production |
December |
5,525 |
4.9 |
65,477 |
1.9 |
| Market pulp production |
December |
696 |
3.7 |
8,544 |
3.2 |
Wastepaper consumption
at paper/board mills |
December |
2,982 |
-2.0 |
N.A. |
7.2 |
| CONVERTED PRODUCTS STATISTICS3 |
Corrugated box shipments
(billion ft2) 6 |
December |
30.903 |
8.5 |
390,127 |
3.0 |
Containerboard inventories
at mills/plants |
Dec. 31 |
2,680 |
-4.7 |
- |
- |
| INTERNATIONAL TRADE2 |
| U.S. paper imports (including products) |
Nov. |
1,375 |
18.4 |
15,646 |
9.8 |
Imports of Canadian
newsprint |
Nov. |
578 |
2.8 |
6,978 |
1.3 |
| U.S. paper exports (including products) |
Nov. |
995 |
-0.2 |
13,191 |
8.9 |
Exports of unbleached
kraft liner |
Nov. |
299 |
-11.3 |
4,436 |
14.9 |
| Exports of woodpulp |
Nov. |
583 |
7.2 |
6,397 |
-1.8 |
| CANADIAN STATISTICS4 (reported in metric tons) |
| Total newsprint shipments 6 |
December |
769 |
1.6 |
9,357 |
6.3 |
| Operating rates, % |
December |
89 |
1.0 |
93 |
1.0 |
Inventories held by
U.S. consumers 6 |
Dec. 31 |
1,280 |
4.1 |
- |
- |
| Woodpulp shipments 6 |
December |
809 |
-1.8 |
10,175 |
3.3 |
| Operating rates, % |
December |
83 |
-3.0.0 |
89 |
0.0 |
| 1. American Forest & Paper Assn. 2. AF&PA, Bureau of Census, American Pulpwood Assn. 3. Fibre Box Assn., Paperboard Packaging Council. 4. Canadian Pulp and Paper Assn. 5. Includes construction and wet machine grades. 6. Not annualized. 7. Categories have been revised: thin papers, previously included under the "other printing/writing" category, is now part of uncoated free-sheet. "Other printing/writing" now encompasses only bristols and cotton fiber papers. N.A. = not available. (s) = Shipments.
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