In April, North American containerboard production showed a slight decline, down 10,000 tonnes (0.4%), compared to…
In April, North American containerboard production showed a slight decline, down 10,000 tonnes (0.4%), compared to a year ago. Demand was down 1.4% over last year.
Inventories held by North American mills and box plants stood at 2.7 million tonnes at the end of April — a reduction of 5,000 tonnes over the previous month.
However, boxboard production was up 0.8% in April, compared to that of last year. Boxboard mills operated at 92% of their capacity compared to 88% in April 2002. Demand has shown improvement, up 1.2% compared to April 2002. This increase is almost all attributed to solid bleached board.
For the fourth consecutive month, North American production of kraft paper was lower than 2002 levels, down 3.7% in April compared to same month last year. Mills operated at 84% of their capacity, down from 89% in April 2002. Shipments were down just under 9% year-over-year in the month. Converting grades continue to be the hardest hit. Demand continued to decline in April, down 10% compared to 2002. Inventories were up 2,000 in April compared to the previous month. At current shipping rates, it is estimated that producers held 25 days of supply at the end of April.
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