The American Forest & Paper
Association (AF&PA) today released the 53rd Annual Survey of Paper,
Paperboard and Pulp Capacity, reporting that U.S. paper and paperboard capacity
declined 1.6 percent in 2012 but will hold essentially stable over the next
three years (2013 through 2015).
Paper and paperboard capacity is
slated to decline 0.4 percent in 2013 but then rise 0.6 percent in 2014 and 0.2
percent in 2015. For the entire three-year projection period, paper and
paperboard capacity is expected to rise 0.4 percent at an average annual rate
of 0.1 percent.
The survey reports U.S. industry
capacity data for 2012 through 2015 for all major grades of paper, paperboard,
and pulp, based on a comprehensive survey of all U.S. pulp and paper mills.
Survey respondents represent about 90 percent of the U.S industry capacity.
