Month in Statistics

U.S. production of paper and paperboard (seasonally unadjusted) during the first nine months of 1997 rose 5.8% over the same period last year, according to the American Forest & Paper Assn. Paper production through September was 33.5 million tons, 6.3% higher than the 1996 period, and paperboard gained 5.4% with a total of 37.5 million tons for the same period.

Among major grades (on a year-to-date basis), coated paper shipments were up 16.9% from a year ago, newsprint production rose 4.8%, and tissue was up 2.8%. Almost all grades continued to rise for the nine months-unbleached kraft liner rose 5% and total packaging and other papers rose 0.5% when compared with last year. Both U.S. market woodpulp and total woodpulp production were up in September compared with the same month last year, 3.5% and 1.6%, respectively. Consumption of recovered paper at U.S. mills for September was at 2.9 million tons, up 3.8% from the
year-ago period.

Canadian newsprint shipments totaled 547,569 tons in September, up 2.9% from September 1996. Newsprint mills operated at 89% of capacity. Canadian woodpulp shipments were up 3.3% from September 1996 and reached 7.8 million metric tons for the year-to-date, with mills operating at 83% of capacity in September.