AF&PA reports containerboard production increase

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), Washington, has released its quarterly containerboard and boxboard reports for the second quarter of 2022, revealing slight increases in total production for both materials.

The organization says total containerboard production increased 2 percent in the second quarter of 2022 compared with the first quarter and also saw a 2 percent increase compared with the second quarter of 2021.

It also reports:

• New containerboard, which includes domestic production plus imports, essentially was flat compared with both the previous quarter and year to date.
• The linerboard operating rate in the second quarter of 2022 was up 1.5 points from the previous quarter to 94.3 percent.
• The medium operating rate was down 0.6 points from the previous quarter to 96 percent.

The AF&PA says boxboard production increased 1 percent in the second quarter of 2022 compared with the previous quarter and up 2 percent when compared with the second quarter of last year, while the operating rate was down 1.2 points from the previous quarter and essentially flat when looking year to date.

The boxboard report also shows recycled coated boxboard production increased 13 percent when compared with the second quarter of last year and that uncoated recycled unmade orders essentially were flat compared with the previous month and decreased 1 percent compared with June 2021.