CEPI, the Confederation of European Paper Industries, has released its Preliminary Statistics for 2013, showing paper and board production by the organisation’s member countries fell by about 1.3% in the calendar year.
Exports had fallen by more than 2% by the end of September 2013, with the main markets for exports being other European countries, which took about 35% of all exports (also 35% in 2012), and deliveries to Asian countries taking around 28% (as in 2012), and 11% being exported to North America (10% in 2012).
According to CEPI, preliminary indications are that imports of paper and board into the European region appear to have decreased between 4.5% and 5% compared to 2012.
Imports from other European countries accounted for 40% of all imports in the first three quarters of 2013 (40% 2012), and imports from North America had a share of 33% (34% in 2012), with the remaining 27% split virtually equally, coming from the other regions (Latin America, Asia and the rest of the world).
“It appears that the overall consumption of paper and board in CEPI countries in 2013 decreased between 1.0% and 1.5% when compared to 2012, based on the latest data available,” CEPI states.
But the industry body gives cause for optimism in the next two years, pointing out that following a “stagnant” 2013, EU GDP is forecast to grow by 1.4% in 2014 and 1.9% in 2015: “Real GDP in the EU has been increasing since the second quarter of 2013 and survey-based confidence indicators show a continuation of the gradual recovery in economic activity.”
The CEPI report also concludes that:
- Total production in 2013 was around 91 million tonnes, over 11 million tonnes lower than the peak total paper production of 102 million tonnes in 2007
- Mill and machine closures in the EU27 in 2013 amounted to 2.4 million tonnes, while new capacities or upgrading of existing ones reached 1.6 million tonnes
- It is estimated that the production of pulp (integrated + market) has decreased by around 1.8% when compared to the previous year, with total output of approximately 37 million tonnes; output of market pulp increased by around 4.3%
- It is estimated that utilisation of paper for recycling by CEPI members increased by around 0.5%
- The fall of the graphic paper sector demand was offset by the more positive development in the packaging paper and board sector
www.cepi.org
