Revised: September shipments of European graphic papers sink 9.5% from year-ago, to 3.252 million tonnes, with all sectors reporting year-over-year declines: Euro-Graph

Diane Keaton

LOS ANGELES , October 31, 2012 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – Industry Intelligence Editor’s Note: This expands the report posted on Oct. 25, when Euro-Graph had not yet released the breakdown by sector (newsprint, SC-magazine, coated mechanical reels, uncoated mechanical—improved and others, coated woodfree (CWF), and uncoated woodfree (UWF), or of the year-to-date totals. This information was released today and follows the paragraphs containing the overall September-over-September totals.

September 2012 shipments of European graphic papers contracted by 9.5% compared to September 2011, to 3.252 million tonnes, according to European Association of Graphic Paper Producers (Euro-Graph) statistics.

In August they had fallen 2.2% year-over-year, to 3.367 million tonnes, while inching up 0.3% in July year-over-year. In June 2012, the European graphic papers shipments fell 6.8% year-over-year and in May and April they dropped by 4.9% and 4.8% respectively; for the first quarter of 2012, they decreased 4.0%.

September 2012 shipments to Europe of 2.592 million tonnes sank 12.4% year-over year, but exports rose 3.8% from a year ago.

Total European demand was 2.672 million tonnes, down 12.8%.

(European demand, which includes both Western and Eastern Europe, is partly estimated; for woodfree grades it excludes Russian domestic deliveries. Other than newsprint, for each of the three mechanical grades for which figures are shown, the shipments to Europe and the European demand are the same.)

All six of the sectors represented in the Euro-Graph statistics showed year-over-year declines in shipments in September 2012. And all showed declines in shipments to Europe, but three showed increases in deliveries to outside of Europe.

The year-to-date total of 29.327 million tonnes fell 4.7% from the first three quarters of 2011. This included 23.578 million tonnes to Europe and 5.749 million tonnes exported. The total European demand was 24.368 million tonnes, down 6.6%.

As for the individual sectors, September shipments of uncoated woodfree papers (UWF) totaled 595,000 tonnes, down 7.8% year-over-year. Shipments to Europe of 503,000 tonnes fell 10.0%, but deliveries to outside of Europe of 91,000 tonnes rose 5.8%. European demand of 546,000 tonnes declined 10.1%.

The year-to-date UWF total of 5.621 million tonnes dropped 3.5% from the first nine months of 2011. This included 4.856 million tonnes shipped to Europe and 765,000 tonnes shipped to outside of Europe, lower by 3.8% and 1.1% respectively. Total European demand was 5.230 million tonnes, for a 4.0% decline.

Shipments in September of coated woodfree (CWF) paper totaled 629,000 tonnes, decreasing by 5.3% year-over-year, with the 498,000 tonnes shipped to Europe dropping by 10.4%. But exports of 131,000 tonnes grew 20.6%. European demand of 527,000 tonnes fell 9.3%.

Cumulative CWF shipments of 5.528 million tonnes declined 3.5% year-to-date, including 4.373 million tonnes to Europe, down 4.5%, while exports rose 0.3%, to 1.156 million tonnes. European demand of 4.637 million tonnes dropped 3.9%.

For newsprint in September, papermakers shipped 798,000 tonnes, down 7.2% year-over-year, including a 13.9% decrease to Europe, to 636,000 tonnes. Exports of 162,000 tonnes rose 33.6%. European demand of 644,000 tonnes fell 16.5%.

For the first nine months of 2012, newsprint producers shipped 7.401 million tonnes, including 5.925 million tonnes to Europe, down 9.6%, and 1.476 million tonnes to outside of Europe, up 28.6%. European demand of 6.076 million tonnes fell 9.9%.

Manufacturers of coated mechanical reels delivered 652,000 tonnes in September, down 15.4% from a year ago. This included 480,000 tonnes to Europe and 171,000 tonnes exported, contracting by 17.2% and 9.7%, respectively.

Year-to-date coated mechanical reels shipments of 5.766 million tonnes dropped 7.4% from the comparable period in 2011. Deliveries to Europe of 4.371 million tonnes and to outside of Europe of 1.395 million tonnes fell 9.3% and 1.2%, respectively.

September supercalendered (SC) magazine papers deliveries of 365,000 tonnes declined 15.6% year-over-year, including decreases of 11.8% to Europe, of 295,000 tonnes, and of 28.8% exported, of 70,000 tonnes.

The year-to-date SC shipments total of 3.165 million tonnes decreased 5.5%. Shipments to Europe of 2.557 million tonnes and to outside of Europe of 608,000 tonnes fell 4.3% and 10.2%, respectively.

Shipments of uncoated mechanical papers (improved and others) decreased in September year-over-year by 3.5%, to 213,000 tonnes. Deliveries included 179,000 tonnes to Europe, down 5.4%, and 34,000 tonnes to outside of Europe, up 8.1%.

Producers of uncoated mechanical papers (improved and others) shipped 1.846 million tonnes in the first three quarters of 2012, down 4.0% from the year-ago period. This included 1.497 million tonnes shipped to Europe, down 5.5%, and 349,000 tonnes exported, up 3.1%.

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