European Paper Industry Production, Sales Recovery Continues
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Dr. Wolfgang Palm, president of the German Pulp and Paper Association, Frankfurt, Germany, noted at the association's annual press conference this past week that production and sales had risen over the year by more than 10% to 23.2 million metric tons. This means that the industry had already surpassed the pre-crisis performance in 2008, he added. Sales rose in 2010 by 17% to EUR 14.4 billion, although company profits were considerably encumbered by soaring raw material costs, which rose on average in 2010 by more than 80% for recovered paper and almost 70% for pulp compared with the 2009 figures. "This development was bound to have an impact on the market and many companies announced that they would be following other industrial sectors and increasing their prices," Palm said.
Packaging papers saw a marked increase in volume. Production in 2010 was 13% higher than in 2009 and also 9% higher than in 2008. Graphic paper production also improved by10%, although it was still 5% down on the 2008 level. The manufacturers of hygiene papers registered 6% growth over 2009 while technical and specialty papers experienced a marked recovery with a 15% improvement in 2010 after the heavy decline in 2009.
The driving force within the paper industry in 2010 was foreign sales, Palm explained, which performed better than domestic sales, improving by 15% compared with just 6% within Germany. Western Europe remained the largest foreign market. The industry is hoping this year for greater stimulus from the domestic economy.
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