U.S. boxboard production declined 2% in the Q1 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with the operating rate reaching 85.7%. The rate represents a drop of 1.5 percentage points from the Q1 of the previous year, according to the American Forest & Paper Association.
Solid bleached boxboard production remained essentially flat in the Q1 2026 compared to the Q1 2025. Unbleached kraft and coated recycled boxboard saw unmade orders increase 27% from the end of the prior quarter and rise 5% compared to March 2025.
Uncoated recycled boxboard posted an operating rate of 92% in the Q1, up 1.5 percentage points from the same quarter a year earlier.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance public policies that foster economic growth, job creation and global competitiveness for a vital sector that makes the essential paper and packaging products Americans use every day.
