The printing-writing paper market saw a four percent fall in March.
Lesprom reported on the data from the American Forest and Paper Association, which stated that shipments of printing-writing paper fell four percent in March 2015 compared to March 2014. Inventory levels were “essentially unchanged” from February 2015, while uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments fell one percent year-over-year.
Imports of UFS paper increased by six percent in February, but fell two percent in comparison in March. Coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments meanwhile saw a three percent decline compared to March 2014, and imports of CFS paper fell by three percent in February, the “first year-over-year decrease in the last 10 months”.
Uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments fell by nine percent year-over-year, while imports fell 12 percent, the “eighth consecutive monthly decline”. Finally, coated mechanical (CM) paper shipments fell 14 percent year-over-year, while imports increased by 16 percent and exports by 17 percent, a “second consecutive increase”.
The American Forest and Paper Association commented that it “serves to advance a sustainable US pulp, paper, packaging, and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy”.