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AF&PA Releases March 2025 Printing-Writing Monthly Report

WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released the March 2025 Printing-Writing Monthly report. 

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 5% in March compared to March 2024. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers decreased 8% in February compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels in March decreased 2% when compared to February 2025. 

Total U.S. shipments across all three major Printing-Writing categories—Uncoated Free Sheet (UFS), Coated Free Sheet (CFS), and Mechanical (MECH) papers—declined on both a month-over-month (MoM) and year-to-date (YTD) basis. Overall, shipments fell by 5.3% MoM and 7.2% YTD. Breaking it down by category: UFS shipments dropped 7.2% MoM and 8.3% YTD, while CFS declined 5.8% MoM and 8.2% YTD. In contrast, Mechanical papers bucked the trend with a 12.5% increase MoM and a 3.0% gain YTD. 

A subscription to the complete report with detailed tables, charts and historical data can be purchased by contacting Kory Bockman at Statistics_Publications@afandpa.org or 202-463-4716. 

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance public policies that foster economic growth, job creation and global competitiveness for a vital sector that makes the essential paper and packaging products Americans use every day. The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 people, largely in rural America, and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 44 states. Our industry accounts for approximately 4.7% of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufacturing more than $435 billion in products annually. AF&PA member companies are significant producers and users of renewable biomass energy and are committed to making sustainable products for a sustainable future through the industry’s decades-long initiative — Better Practices, Better Planet 2030