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U.S. paper and paperboard production declined in February from the prior month and was down 1.6% from February a year ago. Total paper production was 3.6 million tons and paperboard was 3.8 million tons for a seasonally unadjusted February total of 7.47 million tons.
Woodpulp production dropped in February from January by 7.7% to 4.85 million tons and was down 5.5% from February 1998, according to the American Forest & Paper Assn. Market woodpulp chemical paper grade production was down a slight 0.9% from January. Imports were up 87% from the prior month and were up more than 200% from February last year.
Canadian woodpulp exports to the U.S. and elsewhere totaled 836,000 metric tons in February, up 2.2 % from the year-ago month. Pulp operating rates were 98% compared with 87%. Newsprint shipments were up 1% and inventories were up 22%, according to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Assn.
|
| |
Latest month (000 short tons) |
|
% change from year ago |
Annualized year-to-date (000 short tons) |
% change from year ago |
 |
| Newsprint |
February |
558 |
0.0 |
1,175 |
0.6 |
| Uncoated groundwood (s) |
February |
169 |
19.9 |
346 |
2.5 |
| Coated paper (s) |
February |
706 |
0.3 |
1,446 |
–2.6 |
| Uncoated free-sheet 7 |
February |
1,127 |
5.1 |
2,284 |
2.9 |
| Other printing/writing 7 |
February |
121 |
6.0 |
236 |
–4.8 |
| Total packaging and other paper |
February |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
| Tissue |
February |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
| Total paper |
February |
3,615 |
2.5 |
7,374 |
0.8 |
| Unbleached kraft paperboard |
February |
1,814 |
–4.5 |
3,782 |
–4.7 |
| Semichemical medium |
February |
452 |
–0.9 |
930 |
–7.6 |
| Bleached paperboard |
February |
395 |
5.2 |
851 |
–3.9 |
| Recycled paperboard |
February |
1,199 |
–2.4 |
2,529 |
–0.8 |
| Total paperboard |
February |
3,860 |
–3.5 |
8,090 |
–3.8 |
| Total paper and paperboard 5 |
February |
7,475 |
–4.5 |
15,464 |
–1.6 |
 |
| Total woodpulp production |
February |
4,855 |
–4.7 |
10,116 |
–5.5 |
| Market pulp production |
February |
659 |
7.3 |
1,324 |
95.3 |
| Wastepaper consumption at paper/board mills |
February |
n.a. |
–3.3 |
36,411 |
0.5 |
 |
| Corrugated box shipments (billion ft2) 6 |
February |
31.685 |
5.0 |
64.344 |
2.6 |
| Containerboard inventories at mills/plants (actual) |
February |
2,660 |
–13.1 |
|
|
 |
| U.S. paper imports (including products) |
January |
1,409 |
2.8 |
1,409 |
2.8 |
| Imports of Canadian newsprint |
January |
571 |
3.0 |
571 |
3.0 |
| U.S. paper exports (including products) |
January |
912 |
–18.6 |
912 |
–18.6 |
| Exports of unbleached kraft liner |
January |
274 |
–29.9 |
274 |
–29.9 |
| Exports of woodpulp |
January |
423 |
–18.8 |
423 |
–18.8 |
 |
| Total newsprint shipments 6(metric tons) |
February |
713 |
1.1% |
1,445 |
4.1 |
| Operating rates, % |
February |
98 |
91 |
97 |
90 |
| Inventories held by U.S. consumers 6 |
February |
1,314 |
–2.8 |
|
|
| Woodpulp shipments 6 |
February |
836 |
2.3 |
1,661 |
8.2 |
| Operating rates, % |
February |
98 |
87 |
97 |
85 |
 |
| (s) = Shipments. n.a. = not available. 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. |
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