Domestic printing and writing paper shipments fell seven per cent in August as shrinking capacity and imports reshape US supply.
By The Recycler News Team
US printing and writing paper shipments fell seven per cent year-on-year in August, continuing a run of substantial declines in domestic shipments even as the latest figures suggest underlying US demand is proving more resilient.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) said inventories increased one per cent from July. The latest available trade figures, which run one month behind the shipment data, showed total US purchases of printing and writing papers recorded a small year-on-year increase in July.
That creates an important distinction between the amount of paper being purchased in the US and the amount being shipped by domestic producers.
US printing and writing paper shipments had already fallen nine per cent year-on-year in July and eight per cent in June. May recorded an even larger 14 per cent decline. By contrast, purchases fell just one per cent in May, showed little change in June and recorded a small increase in July.
Imports provide part of the explanation. AF&PA, using US Census Bureau data, said net import...