(Bloomberg) -- Nordic forestry companies are shuttering paper machines at an unprecedented pace as the Covid-19 pandemic accelerates a long-running decline in demand.

The coronavirus pandemic has stress tested the global food supply chain like never before, putting a spotlight on the importance of food safety and availability.

Renewed interest in fibers derived from natural cellulose (non-petrochemical) sources has seen demand for such fibers grow to 6 million tons per year currently, an approximate doubling of demand since 2000, according to Tecnon OrbiChem’s supply and demand data.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in July 2020 were down 26.4% vs. July 2019 and are down 20.0% year-to-date.

Total containerboard production in August remained essentially flat (+0.4 percent) compared to August 2019. It was up four percent when compared to the same eight months of 2019.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in June 2020 were down 26.6% vs. June 2019 and are down 18.8% year-to-date.

Total containerboard production in July remained essentially flat (-0.2 percent) compared to July 2019. It was up four percent when compared to the same seven months of 2019. 

After three consecutive record-breaking weeks, southern yellow pine (SYP) lumber prices once again pressed on to set a new record—by a big margin. In mid-August, Forest2Market’s SYP lumber price composite showed prices jumped $106 in just one week.

Our sector is very interconnected.

It has a clear joint future and uses a common raw material.

A new dedicated study of specialty papers in North and South America, finds these two regions consumed a total of 5.88 million tonnes in 2019.

Total European shipments of graphic papers were down 35.8% in May 2020 vs. May 2019 and were down 17.4% year-to-date.

Total Containerboard production in June increased one percent compared to June 2019. It was up five percent when compared to the same six months of 2019.

Pulp and Paper Sees Continued High Demand

Total Containerboard production in May increased one percent compared to May 2019. It was up six percent when compared to the same five months of 2019.

In the Pacific Northwest (PNW), the forest products industry has rebounded somewhat sooner than most believed it would since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown that began in March. Lumber demand has surged in recent weeks, log prices are steady, and there is guarded optimism across the board now.

B.C. exports fell by almost 15% in Q1 2020 from the same period last year, hurt by both the rail blockade protests earlier this year and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the province said.

Total European shipments of graphic papers were down 8.9% in March 2020 vs. March 2019 and are down 7.4% year-to-date.

Production of coated paperboard has increased 0.9 million tonnes (8.8 percent) in Europe and 0.3 million tonnes (3 percent) in North America over the last seven years.

Total Containerboard production in April increased seven percent compared to April 2019. It was up seven percent when compared to the same four months of 2019.

WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today released the 60^th Annual Survey of Paper, Paperboard and Pulp Capacity, reporting that while overall U.S. paper and paperboard capacity declined 0.5 percent in 2019, some sectors rose, including tissue paper, containerboard and boxboard.

As Dwight Eisenhower famously remarked: “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”