U.S. paper and paperboard production was down 1% in May from May a year ago. Production through May 1998 was up a slight 0.7%. Total paper production (unadjusted) for the first five months
was down 1.2%. U.S. shipments of printing/writing papers were down 2.3%, due to increased imports-up 31% through April.

Paperboard production was up 2.4%. year-to-date through May, reflecting a 3.2% increase in containerboard production and a 0.6% gain in boxboard production. However, seasonally adjusted levels of paperboard production have been heading downward, declining from a monthly average level of 4.3 million to 4.4 million tons in the final quarter of last year to 4.1 million tons in May, according to the American Forest & Paper Assn.

Canadian woodpulp shipments totaled 746,000 metric tons in May, down 17% from May 1997. Newsprint shipments were down 4%, paper shipments were up 7% and paper-
board shipments were up 1%.