MONTH IN STATISTICS

Seasonally unadjusted paper and paperboard production in the U.S. rose 2% in February from the same month of the previous year to 7.05 million tons, but production was down from January’s level of 8.19 million tons. Paper production alone was 3.46 million tons, down 0.4% from February 1997 and down 282,000 tons from January. Paperboard production increased 4.2% in February from the previous year and stood at 4.04 million tons.

Among the major paper categories, newsprint shipments declined 1.2% owing to a 21% setback in export tonnage, according to the American Forest & Paper Assn. Uncoated groundwood shipments were down 3.2% in February and uncoated free-sheet shipments were down 1.5%. Coated paper shipments were up 1% in February. Unbleached kraft paper and bleached kraft paper shipments were down 12.4% and 14.3%, respectively.

In paperboard, unbleached kraft linerboard production was up 3.3%. Semichemical corrugating medium was down 9.5% and containerboard for export was up 12.2%. Set-up boxboard for domestic use was down 8.3% and milk carton was down 4.6%. Boxboard exports were up 6%, but down in February compared to January.

Market pulp production (paper grade chemical pulp) in February totaled 614,000 tons, down 7.1% from February and down 79,000 tons from January 1997. Market pulp exports were down 8.7% in February and imports slipped 1.2%. Total wood pulp production was up 0.5% in February; exports were down 11.2% and imports were down 5.4%.