According to preliminary figures, the European paper and board production has decreased by 3.0% in 2019, compared to the previous year.
Last year saw new capacities coming on stream and upgrades of existing equipment, but closures and lower production operating rates dragged down paper and board production. This downward trend was observed in all the top paper and board producing countries.
The slowing down of the EU’s economy in 2019 – from 1.9% in 2018 to 1.1% in 2019, combined with global instability and trade tensions, impacted the European paper and board consumption, which recorded a 4% decline.
Domestic paper and board deliveries in Europe went down by 2.6% compared to 2018, while imports declined by 3.9% according to preliminary figures. Paper and board exports grew by close to 0.9%.
Contrary to previous years, packaging paper and board production remain relatively stable in 2019, unable to offset the on-going decline of graphic grades. The overall production of graphic grades – newsprint, printing and writing papers – fell by more than 8.0% in 2019.
The report can be downloaded here.
