AF&PA Releases 58th Annual Survey of Paper, Paperboard, and Pulp Capacity
Containerboard capacity continued to increase, rising 1.9 percent in 2017 to a record 38.9 million tons. Containerboard accounted for 46.2 percent of U.S. paper and paperboard capacity in 2017. Tissue paper capacity is on a long-term expansionary trajectory, approximately in line with U.S. population growth, and rose 0.2 percent in 2017. Four tissue paper machines started production in 2017. Those capacity additions were partly offset by two mill closures that same year. Reflecting displacement from digital media, capacity for newsprint and printing-writing papers continued to decline in 2017. Three mills and six machines producing these grades were permanently closed that year. Click Read More below for additional information.