Domestic Paper Stock Use Dips

The most recent figures from the American Forest and Paper Association show that the consumption of recovered fiber by domestic mills declined by 1.4 percent from figures the same time last year.

For June, consumption stands at 2.968 million tons, compared to last June’s consumption figure of 3.057 million tons. The figures for June pushed the six-month total to 17.46 million tons, compared to last year’s six-month total of 17.706 million tons.

Although consumption has declined, the inventory of recovered fiber at domestic mills continues to decline. The ability of domestic mills to reduce their inventory levels has been one of the reasons for the strengthening market for many grades of recovered fiber over the past several months.

For June, the inventory level stands at 852,000 tons, a 2.5 percent decline from figures the previous month. Even more impressive, the figures for June are down a sharp 26.9 percent from last June’s inventory level.