Canadian Pulp Production Moves up for December

The Canadian chemical market pulp industry produced 815,000 metric tons in December, up 9 percent, over December 1998. Canadian pulp producers shipped 846,000 metric tons, which was 8 percent higher than the same period last year. Producer stocks ended the month at 546,000 metric tons, down 31,000 metric tons from November.

For the month, domestic shipments totaled 64,000 metric tons, 2 percent lower than December of 1998; deliveries to the United States, at 303,000 metric tons, were up 21 percent more than the same time the previous year; shipments to the Asia/Africa region were 172,000 metric tons, an increase of 50% between December 1999 and December 1998. At current shipping rates, it is estimated that Canadian producers held 22 days of supply at the end of December, two days less than at the end of November.