Solid Bleached Boxboard leads with 4% gain; operating rates show mixed results.
American Forest & Paper Association
Mechanical grades drop 28% year-to-date as total inventory rises 1% from May 2026.
Bleached packaging operating rate reaches 91.3% as unbleached bag shipments jump 15%.
Bleached food wrapping shipments up 5.6% annually as inventories decline 6.8% from May 2025.
Inventory levels rise 6% from April while purchases across three major categories show mixed results.
Uncoated free sheet net imports rise 11% while coated free sheet plunges 42% year-over-year.
Operating rate declines to 85.7% as unbleached kraft and coated recycled boxboard unmade orders jump 27% from prior quarter.
Unbleached packaging paper shipments hit two-year high as operating rate exceeds 90%.
February purchases show mixed performance with coated free sheet rising 6% while uncoated and mechanical grades fall 5% each.