The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has released its 66th Annual Paper Industry Capacity and Fiber Consumption Survey, highlighting declining overall output alongside resilient operating performance in key segments of the U.S. paper and paperboard industry.
U.S. paper and paperboard production fell 3.7% in 2025 to 66.3 million tons. Despite the decline, the survey points to an industry continuing to align capacity with demand while maintaining solid operating performance.
“This year’s survey underscores the scale of the U.S. paper manufacturing industry and the essential role it plays in the economy,” said Heidi Brock, President and CEO of AF&PA, noting that producers are continuing to invest strategically while adapting to shifting market conditions.
Packaging anchors performance
Packaging grades remained the industry’s backbone. Containerboard production declined 4.4% to 36.1 million tons, while capacity fell 5.1%. Even so, it continued to represent more than half of total U.S. paper and paperboard capacity, with mills sustaining a strong 91.9% operating rate.
Packaging paper was one of the few segments to record growth, with production increasing 1.7% in 2025. Boxboard production remained essentially flat at 12.4 million tons.
Printing-writing capacity contracts
The printing-writing segment continued its long-term structural decline. Capacity dropped 13.9% in 2025 to 7.7 million tons, down from nearly 18 million tons in 2015.
However, operating rates improved significantly, increasing from 76.8% in 2024 to 82.8% in 2025, indicating stronger utilization of remaining capacity as the sector continues to adjust to changing demand.
Tissue remains stable
Tissue production edged down 0.8% to approximately 7.8 million tons. Despite the slight decline, tissue continues to represent a stable and gradually growing share of overall industry capacity, reflecting its essential role in the sector’s product mix.
Fiber consumption declines
Total fiber consumption decreased by 3.5% year over year. Wood pulp usage fell 3.2%, while recovered fiber consumption declined 4.0%.
Brock said the findings demonstrate the industry’s ability to adapt while continuing to supply essential products. “U.S. mills continue to produce the packaging, tissue and other paper products that people and businesses rely on every day,” she said.
Industry scope
AF&PA’s survey covers all major grades of paper, paperboard and pulp, including capacity data for 2025 and 2026 and production data for 2025. It is based on a comprehensive survey of U.S. mills and represents approximately 87% of total industry capacity, with estimates used to complete the dataset.
The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 people and generates over $435 billion in annual output, underscoring its continued economic significance.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) represents U.S. manufacturers of pulp, paper, packaging and tissue products. The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 people and generates over US$435 billion in annual manufacturing output, making it one of the country's largest manufacturing sectors.
