AF&PA reports Q4 increases in boxboard, containerboard production

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), Washington, last week released its fourth quarter boxboard and containerboard quarterly reports, revealing production increases across several grades.

According to the AF&PA’s “Q4 Boxboard Quarterly Report,” total U.S. boxboard production in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased 5 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2023, and the boxboard operating rate was nearly 85 percent, up 3.8 points from the same period last year and up 3.3 points year to date.

Domestic solid bleached folding and uncoated recycled boxboard (URB) production also increased in last year’s fourth quarter, up 15 percent and 3 percent, respectively. URB production also increased 3 percent year to date.

Finally, solid bleached boxboard unmade orders were down 8 percent compared with the previous quarter but increased 42 percent compared with December 2023.

In its “Q4 Containerboard Quarterly Report,” the AF&PA reports a 1 percent increase in total containerboard production in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023 as well as a 5 percent increase year to date.

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However, the report also shows production for export in the fourth quarter of 2024 was the lowest of that year, with volumes dropping 11.2 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2023, while year-to-date containerboard production for export was up 15.4 percent “due to the very strong first half of 2024.”

New containerboard supply in the fourth quarter increased 1.5 percent from the previous quarter and, the AF&PA reports, reached the highest it’s been since the second quarter of 2022. Compared with 2023, new supply is up 3.6 percent.

In looking at other grades, operating rates for unbleached kraft liner and recycled medium both increased compared with the previous quarter, while rates for recycled liner and semichemical medium declined.

Recycled medium production did increase for the third straight quarter, however, while semichemical medium declined for the third straight quarter. AF&PA reports total medium production increased 3.4 percent for the year compared with 5.3 percent for liner.