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U.S. paper and paperboard production gained for the second consecutive month in July, according to the American Forest & Paper Assn. On an unadjusted basis, paper production edged ahead of June by a slight 1% and paperboard was ahead 1.2%. However, most grades of paper showed declines from July 1997. Paperboard production was up through July over the same period last year.
Newsprint shipments to the U.S. from all suppliers were up 190,000 tons, or 2.6%, from the first seven months of 1997. Most of the increase was accounted for by overseas imports; imports from Canada declined by 66,000 tons.
Market pulp production was up in July over June, but down more than 4% from July 1997. Exports were off 14.2% from last year. Canadian wood pulp shipments were down almost 9% in July from a year ago and the operating rate was 87% compared with 92% in last year's month. U.S. exports of wood pulp were off 13.2% in June, according to figures from the Bureau of the Census.
|
 |
| Newsprint |
July |
600 |
-3.1 |
7,160 |
-0.6 |
| Uncoated groundwood (s) |
July |
197 |
18.0 |
2,136 |
6.4 |
| Coated paper (s) |
July |
762 |
-4.8 |
9,119 |
-1.3 |
| Uncoated free-sheet 7 |
July |
1,174 |
1.5 |
13,451 |
-1.2 |
| Other printing/writing 7 |
July |
130 |
-1.5 |
1,535 |
-7.9 |
| Total packaging and other paper |
July |
336 |
-7.4 |
4,194 |
-4.9 |
| Tissue |
July |
581 |
6.0 |
6,691 |
4.7 |
| Total paper |
July |
3,780 |
-0.2 |
44,286 |
-0.3 |
| Unbleached kraft paperboard |
July |
2,104 |
6.9 |
23,984 |
5.9 |
| Semichemical medium |
July |
465 |
-10.2 |
5,746 |
-3.7 |
| Bleached paperboard |
July |
467 |
-1.9 |
5,545 |
-1.0 |
| Recycled paperboard |
July |
1,270 |
-1.9 |
15,309 |
0.1 |
| Total paperboard |
July |
4,299 |
1.0 |
50,612 |
2.2 |
| Total paper and paperboard 5 |
July |
8,078 |
3.2 |
94,899 |
1.0 |
 |
| Total woodpulp production |
July |
5,707 |
0.7 |
65,099 |
0.4 |
| Market pulp production |
July |
769 |
-4.0 |
8,216 |
-4.1 |
| Wastepaper consumptionat paper/board mills |
July |
3,027 |
n.a. |
n.a. |
2.1 |
 |
| Corrugated box shipments (billion ft2) 6 |
July |
33.813 |
1.4 |
62.670 |
1.6 |
| Containerboard inventories at mills/plants |
July |
2,953 |
14.8 |
6,084 |
-1.5 |
 |
| U.S. paper imports (including products) |
June |
1,438 |
8.8 |
16,676 |
10.2 |
| Imports of Canadian newsprint |
June |
582 |
1.2 |
6,833 |
-3.7 |
| U.S. paper exports (including products) |
June |
1,014 |
-4.1 |
12,969 |
-2.2 |
| Exports of unbleached kraft liner |
June |
278 |
24.5 |
4,176 |
-5.7 |
| Exports of woodpulp |
June |
538 |
0.4 |
5,597 |
-13.2 |
 |
| Total newsprint shipments 6 |
July |
664 |
-16.1 |
5,129 |
-7.8 |
| Operating rates, % |
July |
80 |
93.0 |
89 |
96.0 |
| Inventories held by U.S. consumers 6 |
July |
1,398 |
8.5 |
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| Woodpulp shipments 6 |
July |
726 |
-13.3 |
5,582 |
-8.8 |
| Operating rates, % |
July |
87 |
93.0 |
86 |
92.0 |
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| 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. (s) = Shipments. n.a. = not available. |
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