Industry shipments of corrugated products decreased 0.6 percent, from 33.495 bsf in August of 2019 to 34.285 bsf in August of 2020, the Fibre Box Association (FBA) reported. The decrease is partially due to the fact there was one less shipping day in August of 2020. Average week shipments, however, increased 4.1 percent, from 7.840 bsf in 2019 to 8.163 bsf in 2020. Shipments of corrugated products are up 0.7 percent year-to-date.
Containerboard consumption decreased 1.3 percent, from 2.8427 million tons in August of 2019, to 2.8061 million tons in August of 2020. Consumption is up 0.8 percent year-to-date over 2019, from 21.5716 million tons to 21.7415 million tons.
Containerboard inventory at corrugator plants decreased 5.2 percent, from 2.0214 million tons in July to 1.9155 million tons in August 2020. Weeks of supply shrunk from 3.2 in July to 2.9 in August, or 9.4 percent.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) reported that operating rates increased from 89.4 percent in July to 92.1 percent in August. Kraft linerboard mills ran at 93.0 percent and the corrugating medium rate was 92.1 percent.
