New data The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has published its March 2024 Packaging Papers Monthly report. Total packaging papers and specialty packaging shipments in March dropped by 5 percent last month compared to March 2023, according to the body’s figures.
“They were down 2% when compared to the same 3 months of 2023.The operating rate for bleached packaging papers was 82.5%, up 5.7 points from March 2023 and up 9.5 points year-to-date,” according to the association.
In addition to the above, the AF&PA said that shipments of the biggest subgrade within the unbleached packaging papers category, bag and sack, “were 99,700 short tons for the month of March, down 0.3% from the same month last year but up 3.5% year-to-date.”