Total U.S. printing and writing (P&W) paper shipments decreased 9% in March 2017 compared with March 2016, according to the AF&PA (Washington, D.C., USA) March 2017 Printing-Writing Paper Report released this week. Key data from the report include:

• Total P&W paper inventory levels were essentially flat from February 2017, down less than 1%.
• Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments decreased 7% year-over-year in March 2017. UFS imports decreased 13% in February 2017 compared with February 2016, with exports decreasing 2% year-over-year in February 2017.
• March 2017 coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments decreased 6% compared with March 2016. Imports of CFS papers increased 9% year-over-year in February 2017, and exports increased 2% in February 2017 relative to the previous year.
• Uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments decreased 26% in March 2017 compared with March 2016. Imports of UM paper decreased 11% in February 2017, with exports of UM paper in February 2017 decreasing 45%.
• Coated mechanical (CM) shipments in March 2017 decreased 12% compared with March 2016. 
• Imports of CM increased 6% in February 2017 compared with February 2016, and exports were down 19% in February 2017 relative to the previous year.