U.S. P&W Paper Shipments up 10% from 2009

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Total U.S. printing and writing paper shipments increased 10% in April compared with April 2009—the sixth consecutive year-over-year (YOY) increase and the third double-digit YOY increase, according to AF&PA's (Washington, D.C., USA), April 2010 Printing-Writing Paper Report. Three of the four major printing and writing paper grades posted double-digit increases compared with last April, while the fourth was down less than 1% percent. U.S. purchases (shipments + imports – exports) of printing-writing papers also increased in April, up 7% YOY April.

Total printing and writing paper inventory levels decreased slightly from March 2010, down 3%. Some additional key findings of the report include:

• Uncoated free sheet (UFS) shipments eased slightly YOY, down less than 1%
• Coated free sheet (CFS) shipments increased double-digits for the fifth consecutive month
• YOY shipments of coated mechanical (CM) also increased in double-digits for the fifth consecutive month
• Uncoated mechanical (UM) shipments increased for the fifth consecutive month.