AF&PA releases monthly packaging, printing and writing papers report

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), Washington, has released its monthly reports for packaging and printing and writing papers, revealing essentially flat numbers in the packaging sector while printing and writing faced a bit of a slump.

According to the report, total printing and writing paper shipments decreased 5 percent in August compared with the same month last year, and total U.S. purchases of printing and writing papers decreased 1 percent. The AF&PA also notes total printing and writing paper inventory levels decreased 2 percent when compared with the previous month.

The printing and writing papers report also showed:

• U.S. purchases of uncoated free sheet (UFS) papers decreased 1 percent in August compared with the same period last year, while the inventory levels decreased 2 percent compared with July, when UFS imports increased 25 percent and exports decreased 12 percent.
• Coasted free sheet (CFS) paper shipments decreased 6 percent compared with August 2021, while inventory levels decreased 3 percent compared with last month. Both CFS imports and exports increased compared with July 2021, up 37 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
• U.S. purchases of coated mechanical (CM) papers in August decreased 10 percent compared with the same month last year, though inventory levels increase 5 percent compared with July numbers. CM imports increased 14 percent and exports decreased 16 percent in July.
• Uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments increased 17 percent compared with last August, while inventory levels decreased 9 percent compared with July, when UM imports increased 8 percent and exports decreased 15 percent.

In the AF&PA monthly packaging papers report, the organization reports total packaging papers and specialty packaging shipments in August remained essentially flat, down 0.1 percent, compared with August 2021 and were flat (up 0.1 percent) compared with the same eight months of last year.

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The report also shows the unbleached packaging papers operating rate was 94.4 percent, up 1.1 points from August 2021 and up 1.7 points year to date, while shipments of bleached food wrapping were 31,600 short tons for August, down 2.1 percent year to date.