Paper mills are closing down or have to adapt their production rate to a reduced demand. Pulp mills are also converted into mills producing new types of pulp like dissolving pulp. But despite this global trend that is affecting Europe, North America and Africa, production of paper and board in Asia, Latin America, Oceania and the Middle East allowed global paper and board production to reach a new record level of 399 million metric tonnes in 2011. These are the of the newly released report 2012 Annual Review of Global Pulp & Paper Statistics published by RISI.
As quoted by Paper Age, Kevin Conley, Senior Economist of World Graphic Paper at RISI, says:
"For the third year in a row, China took the top spot for both demand and production of total paper and board, with the US remaining in second place. China accounted for 24% of world demand and 25% of global production of total paper and board in 2011"
"In terms of pulp production, however, the United States remained the top pulp producing country in the world with 49.7 million metric tonnes in 2011. China came in second producing 19.5 million metric tonnes," Conley added.
