U.S. P&W Paper Shipments Edge Down
Total U.S. printing and writing (P&W) paper shipments were down 1% this past October compared with October 2012, according to the AF&PA (Washington, D.C., USA) October 2013 Printing-Writing Paper Report. Increases in year-over-year shipments of uncoated grades were offset by decreases in coated paper shipments.
Additional key findings of the report are:
- October coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments decreased 4% compared with October 2012, with YTD shipments through October down 1% relative to 2012 levels. Exports of CFS in September were down 14% compared with September of last year.
- Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments increased 3% in October to 773,400 tons, the highest level since March 2012. For the year, shipments are down 2% in 2013.
- October uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments were flat compared with 2012 and down 10% YTD compared with the same period in 2012. Imports of UFS through September increased 9% year-over-year.
- Coated mechanical (CM) shipments in October decreased 6% compared with October 2012. Shipments of CM are down 10% for the year in 2013. Exports of CM decreased 16% in September, down 21% YTD.
TAPPI
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