The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released the January 2026 Packaging Papers Monthly report. Total packaging papers & specialty packaging shipments in January decreased 1 percent compared to January 2025.
The total operating rate for the packaging papers segment was 80.7 percent, higher than both January 2025 and December 2025, but lower than the overall rate for 2025 (81.2 percent).
Unbleached multiwall shipments were up 6.9 percent from last January.
Imports of packaging papers were up nearly 6 percent in 2025 compared to 2024 based on the latest data available.
