Utipulp stocks in Europe increase by 1.0% in August over July, but still at 21 days of supply; year-over-year consumption drops by 6.1%

Diane Keaton

LOS ANGELES , September 18, 2011 (Forestweb) – European woodpulp consumers’ stocks grew by 7,242 tonnes, or 1.0%, in August over July, to 710,377 tonnes, according to data released Sept. 16 by Utipulp.

This was the second straight month of increases, though consumers’ days of supply also stayed at 21 days for the second straight month.

Softwood kraft pulp stocks increased in August, as did sulfite stocks, while hardwood kraft pulp stocks fell.

Days of supply have been hovering in the 20-21 day range since May 2010, with the exception of 19 days in July 2010. From February through April 2011, they stood at 21 days.

In August 2011, consumption fell by 56,550 tonnes, or 6.1%, to 872,061 tonnes, which was the first time since December that it was under 1 million tonnes. (In August 2010, it was under 1 million tonnes, as well: 928,611 tonnes.) Consumption this year also decreased year-over-year in April, May, June, and July.

Month-over-month consumption sank by 13.3%, or 133,766 tonnes.

European consumers’ stocks are still at historically low levels. The stocks fell to a record low of 640,148 tonnes in July 2010; stocks have moved up a bit since then, sometimes to the low 700,000s tonnes, but they have trended low since falling to fewer than 1 million tonnes in December 2006.

August 2011 hardwood kraft pulp stocks dropped by 3,505 tonnes, to 384,411 tonnes, down 0.9%. Softwood kraft pulp stocks rose by 2.7%, or 7,610 tonnes, to 288,569 tonnes. Softwood sulfite pulp stocks increased by 1,292 tonnes, or 8.0%, to 17,439 tonnes, while hardwood sulfite pulp stocks grew by 97 tonnes, or 1.0%, to 10,221 tonnes. Unbleached sulfite and kraft pulp stocks gained 1,749 tonnes, or 21.9%, to 9,737 tonnes. (Note: A typographical error in this article has been corrected since it was posted, to show that the hardwood sulfite pulp stocks grew b 97 tonnes.)

August stocks compared to those of July have risen in 11 of the previous 15 years, while year-over-year consumption has increased in six of the previous 14 years.

The Utipulp statistics include kraft and sulfite pulp figures from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Figures for Spain go back only to January 2001, but since Spain has few users, its data are a small part of the overall Utipulp totals.

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