Cepi’s European statistics

Consumption of paper of all types across Europe remained broadly static while paper production fell by 5.9%. The European experience was replicated in North America and Japan, says Cepi. The explanation comes down to using stocks built up a year earlier as a hedge against paper shortages. 

Peering deeper into the figures for 2022, Cepi finds that demand for graphic papers fell by 1.8% during the year; package grades remained stable while demand for hygiene and household papers increased 3.6%.

In terms of production packaging grades, mainly corrugated, dropped 4.8%, carton board by 4.1% and wrapping materials by 5.2%. Production of graphical paper grades fell 11.3% in 2022 within which newsprint accounting for a 9% drop in production and other printing and writing grades by 11.5% because of machine and mill closures and conversions. 

The heaviest impact was felt by mechanical grades which dropped 16.3% in production terms with woodfree graphic papers were down 8%. 

The organisation blames the global slowdown in economic growth for the drop in demand among with the war in Ukraine which has disrupted trade with Russia where exports dropped 68% and imports by 35%.