AF&PA releases annual survey

Washington, DC— The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released its 45th Annual Survey of Paper, Paperboard and Pulp Capacity in New York City. The Survey indicates that U.S. paper and paperboard capacity stabilized in 2004, after three consecutive years of decline. It also suggests the industry’s capacity to produce paper and paperboard will expand over the next three years (2005-07), although at very subdued rates averaging just 0.3% a year. Capacity growth, by comparison, averaged 2.2% a year during the 1990s.

The Survey covers U.S. industry capacity plans for the years 2005 through 2007 for all pulp, paper and paperboard grades. Industry total capacity by grades for all U.S. mills are included in the report.

AF&PA’s 45th Annual Survey of Paper, Paperboard and Pulp Capacity provides detailed capacity information for the following grades of paper, paperboard and pulp: paper, printing-writing, coated free sheet, uncoated free sheet, uncoated mechanical, coated mechanical, unbleached kraft, bleached kraft, tissue, newsprint, paperboard, linerboard, corrugating medium, bleached board, recycled paperboard, recycled folding boxboard, unbleached kraft folding boxboard, pulp, market wood pulp, pulp for paper and board.