U.S. Containerboard Operating Rate Reaches 95% in Q2, AF&PA Says
Paper Recycling | 2026-08-05 07:47:42 | By Paul Ploumis
AF&PA report noted that Solid Bleached Boxboard recorded a 4% increase in production from a year earlier.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has released its Q2 2026 Boxboard and Containerboard Quarterly Reports, highlighting stronger operating rates across the industry despite mixed production trends.
According to the report, U.S. boxboard production increased 2% year over year in the second quarter of 2026. However, the overall boxboard operating rate edged down to 88.8%, down from 89.4% during the comparable quarter in 2025.
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AF&PA report noted that Solid Bleached Boxboard recorded a 4% increase in production from a year earlier. Unbleached Kraft and Coated Recycled Boxboard posted an operating rate of 92.6%, up 2.6% from the second quarter of 2025. Uncoated Recycled Boxboard operating rate reached 97.2%, recording a jump of 3.6% year-on-year.
The association also reported that the containerboard industry operating rate improved to nearly 95% during the quarter, up from 93% in the previous quarter. Despite the higher utilization rate, containerboard production declined 2% from the second quarter of 2025. Production was down by 5% in H1 2026 compared with the first six months of last year.
The operating rate for unbleached Kraft liner reached 95.7%, while that of Recycled medium dropped marginally to 93.5%.
AF&PA said domestic demand increased 1% from a year earlier, while exports fell by nearly 19%. Also, mill inventories dropped to their lowest level in more than 15 months by the end of June this year.