The American Forest & Paper Association has released US paper production statistics for April 2016.

Printing-writing papers. Total printing-writing papers shipments were down 6.0% compared to April 2015. Total printing-writing papers inventory was down less than 1.0% compared to the previous month.

Uncoated freesheet paper shipments last month were down 3.0% compared to April 2015. UFS imports were down 25% year-over-year in March 2016.

Coated freesheet paper shipments were down 4.0% compared to April 2015. Imports of CFS fell 19% in March, with exports down 17% year-to-year.

Uncoated mechanical paper shipments in April decreased 6.0% compared to April 2015. Imports of UM papers were down 16% in March, while exports of UM in March rose 6.0% in March, compared to March 2015.

Coated mechanical paper shipments in April fell off 20% compared to April 2015. Imports of CM rose 16% in March, compared to March 2015.

Boxboard. Total boxboard production in April decreased 3.6% from the levels of April 2015, and decreased 6.0% from the production rate of the previous month.

Unbleached Kraft boxboard in April decreased from the levels of March, and was down when compared with production in April 2015.

Solid bleached boxboard and liner production in April was reduced from the level of the previous month and from the production rate in April 2015.

Recycled boxboard production rose compared to April 2015, but fell compared to March
2016.

Containerboard report. Containerboard production in April was 2.6% lower than in April 2015. The month-over-month average daily production compared to March 2016 was 1.9% higher. The containerboard operating rate for April rose from 93% to 94.3% and the year-to-year operating rate of 94% was down 1.6% compared to the same period of 2015.

Kraft papers. Total kraft paper shipments in April were 137.8 thousand short tons, 3.7% lower than in April 2015. Bleached kraft shipments rose from 7.8 thousand tons in March to 8.5 thousand in April, while unbleached kraft papers production fell from 140.2 thousand tons to 129.3 thousand. Over all, shipments in the first four months of 2016 were 1.1% lower than in the same period of 2015. Total month-end inventories for April fell from 82.3 to 76.2 thousand short tons.