AF&PA: Packaging Paper Shipments Rise 4% in August, Printing-Writing Demand Falls

Paper Recycling  |  2026-09-23 05:58:36   |   By

Unbleached bag and sack shipments reached a new monthly record of nearly 119,000 short tons, representing an 8.4% increase year to date.

Summary
  • Packaging Paper Shipments Continue to Grow
    U.S. packaging papers and specialty packaging shipments increased 4% year over year in August, with January-August shipments up 5%. Unbleached bag and sack shipments reached a monthly record of nearly 119,000 short tons.
  • Packaging Operating Rates and Inventories Remain Elevated
    The operating rate for bleached packaging papers reached 91.1%, marking the third time this year it has exceeded 90%. August packaging paper inventories were 1% higher than a year earlier and reached their highest level in 13 months.
  • Printing-Writing Paper Demand Weakens Despite Higher Imports
    Printing-writing paper shipments declined 7% year over year in August, while inventories rose 1% from July. Meanwhile, July net imports of UFS, CFS and mechanical paper increased 26% year over year, led by gains of 38% in UFS and 51% in CFS.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) reported divergent trends across U.S. paper markets in August 2026. The packaging papers posted solid shipment growth, while printing-writing paper demand declined during the month.

Total packaging papers and specialty packaging shipments rose 4% year over year in August. The cumulative shipments during the first eight months of 2026 were 5% higher when compared with the corresponding period last year.

Unbleached bag and sack shipments reached a new monthly record of nearly 119,000 short tons, representing an 8.4% increase year to date. Meanwhile, the operating rate for bleached packaging papers reached 91.1%. This is the third time this year that the rate has exceeded 90%, AF&PA noted.

Packaging paper inventories also remained elevated. August inventories were 1% above August 2025 levels, touching their highest point in 13 months.

Meanwhile, the total printing-writing paper shipments fell 7% in August from a year earlier, while inventories increased 1% from July.

Trade data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated a modest increase in U.S. printing-writing paper purchases in July compared with the same month of 2025. The combined net imports of uncoated free sheet (UFS), coated free sheet (CFS), and mechanical paper increased 26% year over year.

UFS net imports climbed 38%, while CFS and mechanical paper imports rose 51% and 13%, respectively, AF&PA data said.

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