European Paper and Board Production Remains Flat in 2016

Total paper and board (P&B) production in Europe remained basically stable on a year-on-year basis in 2016. Total volumes fell by 52,000 tonnes during the year to 90.931 million tonnes, corresponding to a 0.1 percent decrease, the latest data from the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) reveal.

 

 

Graphic paper production sank by 3.8 percent to 33.909 million tonnes, with newsprint, coated mechanical paper and coated woodfree paper plummeting by 6.7 percent, 7.4 percent and 5.2 perecent, respectively. Uncoated woodfree production also fell by 1.6 percent during the year. The uncoated mechanical paper segment was the only graphic paper market to post growth. Here, production of the grade increased by 2.3 percent on a year-on-year basis in 2016.

Tissue paper production increased by 1.1 percent year on year while packaging paper production rose by 2.4 percent to 45.671 million tonnes.

 

 

Total wood pulp production grew by 2.6 percent year on year in 2016. Mechanical pulp production increased by 2.3 percent to 10.145 million tonnes while chemical pulp output increased by 2.6 percent to 26.813 million tonnes.

Over the course of 2016, total P&B production capacity rose by 0.5 percent to 100.374 million tonnes, while the operating rate fell by 0.5 percent year on year, from 91.1 percent in 2015 to 90.6 percent in 2016.