The American Forest & Paper Association released the August 2019 Containerboard Monthly report on 17th September. Containerboard production in August 2019 decreased 2.4% compared to August 2018 and was down 4.9% year-to-date. The average daily production compared to July 2019 was 3.2% higher.
The containerboard operating rate increased from 89.9% in July to 92.8% – the highest rate so far this year. The total linerboard rate increased to 91.6%, going above 90% for only the third time this year. Nevertheless, the August total operating rate was 4.6 points lower than the same month last year, and the year-to-date operating rate was down 6.3 points. Production for export, most of which is linerboard, was down 12.2% month-over-month and was down 17.7% year-to-date.
The complete report with detailed tables, charts and historical data can be purchased by contacting Kory Bockman at [email protected]