U.S. Containerboard, Box Plant Inventory Decline

Total May inventories (U.S. mill and box plants) dropped 98,600 tons m/m to 2,229,400 tons (mills -23,900 tons, box plants -74,700 tons), Wilde reports. Over the past decade, inventories have declined ˜63,000 tons m/m (SD = 44,000). The five-year move is -70,000 tons. In the past two months, inventories have declined 191,200 tons. The large decline is partly driven by RockTenn's higher-than-normal maintenance (˜140,000 tons) during the current quarter, according to Wilde, who added that the average 10-year May inventory level is 2,353,000 tons and the past five-year level is 2,219,000 tons.

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