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.
January purchases drop 14% as net imports across three major categories decline 16% year-over-year.
Operating rate climbs 4 points to 83.9% as unbleached segment leads growth, while bleached food wrapping declines 1.5%.
Operating rate drops to 85.6% as production of tube, can and drum materials decreases 4% year-over-year.
Export medium output rises 3% as mill inventories finish at highest level since early 2022.
Association appoints officers from Clearwater Paper and International Paper, and adds Graphic Packaging CEO to its Board.
Inventories increase 6% year-over-year as unbleached bag and sack shipments fall 2.6%.
Purchases for major categories drop 14% in October as total inventory levels decline 2% from November.
Bleached food wrapping shipments decline 2.2% year-over-year as total inventories rise 6.2%.
Mechanical paper records steepest decline as inventories drop 2% from September 2025.
Mill inventories peak at 462 thousand tons in August before an 8% decline the following month.
Operating rate drops to 88.7% as domestic output for plates, dishes and trays rises 14%.