Pulp and paper rail freight up 6.7% in latest week in North America

By James McLaren, Senior Editor, PPI Pulp & Paper Week, RISI

SAN FRANCISCO, March 25, 2011 (RISI) - Pulp and paper railroad traffic in North America rose 6.7% in the latest week ending March 19, according to the Assn of American Railroads. Weekly volume of 9,217 carloads drove year-to-date traffic to 106,620 units, up 8.9% from 2010.

Weekly pulp and paper freight was 11.2% higher in the US, 0.4% higher in Canada, and 7.9% lower in Mexico, compared with a year earlier.

North American wood products freight at 5,504 carloads in the latest week was up 6.6% and through 11 weeks of 2011 at 53,809 carloads was 6% higher, AAR showed.

Primary forest products volume was down 5.2% and 3.9% respectively.

Total North American rail traffic was 2.6% higher in the week and 4.1% higher year-to-date.