AF&PA: U.S. Boxboard Production Surged 2% in 2021

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released Packaging Papers & Specialty Packaging Monthly report for Q4 2021 boxboard report.

When compared with the corresponding quarter a year before, the total boxboard production in Q4 2021 increased by 2%. The boxboard operating rate, at 94.1%, was up by 0.7% from Q4 a year before.

The solid bleached boxboard production in Q4 recorded marginal decline by 2%. Also, recycled boxboard production during the quarter was up by 3% over the corresponding quarter in 2020. At the same time, unbleached kraft and gypsum production recorded 6% surge, in comparison with Q4 2020.

The total packaging papers and specialty packaging shipments increased slightly by 1% year-on-year in December 2021. The shipments during the full year 2021were essentially flat, compared to 2020. The Dec ’21 operating rate stood at 84.9%, whereas the mill inventories declined by 3,000 short tons from the previous month, AF&PA report said.

AF&PA had earlier reported record containerboard production during the previous year, rising higher by 5.6% from 2020. It attributed the rise in production to rising customer demand for sustainable paper products. The recent investments are expected to further boost the amount of recovered paper used by U.S. paper and paperboard mills.

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