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Abstract
In mid-2008, pulp and paper prices were at or near historic peak levels, but global demand conditions were weakening. Industry profits were eroded in 2007 and 2008 as sharply higher energy costs led to higher prices for fuel, freight, pulpwood, recovered paper, chemicals, and other inputs. Expanding pulp and paper capacity in China is having a huge impact on paper and paperboard markets, and on global competition for wood, recovered paper, and pulp. United States net exports of paper and board surged, boosted by the weaker US dollar, while with a strong Canadian dollar net exports and output of paper from Canada declined. US recovery of paper for recycling and export of recovered paper reached record levels in 2007, and demand continued in 2008, with recovered paper prices reaching near record levels. Rising biofuel production and concern about bioenergy produced from food crops have been drawing industry attention to competition for wood-based biofuels, as well as to relationships among forest practices, food production, climate change and land use changes. The Russian Federation continued to experience growth in pulp, paper and paperboard output; however exports fell for the second year in 2007 as consumption continued to rise. Integrated forest product biorefinery concepts are being explored in Europe and North America as a means of obtaining optimal future recovery of energy and chemicals as well as conventional paper and pulp products from wood resources. In the aggregate, the European and North American demand for graphic papers receded, while the demand for packaging paper and paperboard increased. Paper demand increased in Europe but production levelled out as imports increased.
Keywords
Paper industry,
economic aspects,
forest products industry,
wood-pulp industry,
forest products,
marketing,
market surveys,
statistics,
commerce,
paperboard industry,
supply,
demand,
pulpwood,
prices,
waste paper,
recycling
Citation
Ince, Peter J.; Akim, Eduard L.; Lombard, Bernard; Parik, Tomas. 2008. Pulp and paper markets peaking amid slow economy, rising input costs, and erosion of profits : markets for paper, paperboard and woodpulp, 2007-2008. Forest products annual market review, 2007-2008. Geneva timber and forest study papers ; no. 23. New York ; Geneva : United Nations, 2008: p. 85-94: ISBN: 9781441603258 (electronic bk): 1441603255 (electronic bk)
