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U.S. paper and paperboard production slipped 195,000 tons from April to 7.75 million tons, the American Forest & Paper Assn. reported. Both the paper and board sectors had lower production on a seasonally unadjusted basis. So far this year industry production has been flat compared with 1998.
U.S. newsprint production was down more than 5% from a year ago and lagged 2.3% through the first five months of 1999. Canadian shipments declined more than 5% from April to May and were slightly down from May 1998.
Containerboard production through May lagged the same period last year by 1.2%, although box shipments were up, owing to inventory drawdowns.
Total U.S. woodpulp production registered a gain of just over 5% in May from April to 5.27 million tons; paper grade market pulp production rose 7% from April and was slightly higher than May a year ago. Woodpulp exports declined 4% in April from the previous month and were down 11% January through April 1999 compared with the 1998 period.
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|
Latest month (000 short tons) |
% change from year ago |
Annualized year-to-date (000 short tons) |
% change from year ago |
 |
| Newsprint |
May |
586 |
–5.8 |
2,941 |
–2.3 |
| Uncoated groundwood (s) |
May |
153 |
–7.8 |
776 |
–3.3 |
| Coated paper (s) |
May |
729 |
–2.3 |
3,770 |
–1.2 |
| Uncoated free-sheet 7 |
May |
1,079 |
–0.3 |
5,689 |
2.6 |
| Other printing/writing 7 |
May |
131 |
5.6 |
625 |
–2.1 |
| Total packaging and other paper |
May |
n.a. |
n.a |
n.a |
n.a. |
| Tissue |
May |
n.a |
n.a |
n.a |
n.a. |
| Total paper |
May |
3,604 |
–0.8 |
18,386 |
0.2 |
| Unbleached kraft paperboard |
May |
1,880 |
–2.9 |
9,528 |
–3.0 |
| Semichemical medium |
May |
459 |
–5.6 |
2,370 |
–4.7 |
| Bleached paperboard |
May |
448 |
–5.9 |
2,313 |
0.2 |
| Recycled paperboard |
May |
1,361 |
7.4 |
6,621 |
5.1 |
| Total paperboard |
May |
4,148 |
–0.4 |
20,887 |
–0.4 |
| Total paper and paperboard 5 |
May |
7,752 |
–0.6 |
39,305 |
–0.0 |
 |
| Total woodpulp production |
May |
5,276 |
–2.7 |
25,751 |
–4.1 |
| Market pulp production |
May |
704 |
8.8 |
3,342 |
–0.5 |
| Wastepaper consumption at paper/board mills |
May |
3,271 |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
 |
| Corrugated box shipments (billion ft2) 6 |
May |
31,456 |
0.3 |
165,807 |
2.9 |
| Containerboard inventories at mills/plants (actual) |
May |
2,563 |
–12.2 |
|
|
 |
| U.S. paper imports (including products) |
April |
1,497 |
5.1 |
5,829 |
6.1 |
| Imports of Canadian newsprint |
April |
562 |
0.9 |
2,283 |
1.3 |
| U.S. paper exports (including products) |
April |
1,044 |
–5.2 |
4,001 |
–9.7 |
| Exports of unbleached kraft liner |
April |
305 |
–15.0 |
1,188 |
–21.2 |
| Exports of woodpulp |
April |
465 |
–14.8 |
2,045 |
–10.1 |
 |
| Total newsprint shipments 6 (metric tons) |
May |
743 |
–0.4 |
3,746 |
1.9 |
| Operating rates, % |
May |
88 |
–8.3 |
95 |
3.3 |
| Inventories held by U.S. consumers 6 |
May |
1,278 |
–6.9 |
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| Woodpulp shipments 6 |
May |
842 |
12.4 |
4,310 |
5.5 |
| Operating rates, % |
May |
86 |
4.9 |
93 |
9.4 |
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| (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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