I’ve always loved statistics — they help us see the world with more clarity and less noise. But we must handle them with care. Numbers tell stories, yet they can also mislead if read in isolation.
A few days ago, Europulp released the figures for wood pulp stocks at European ports for August. As usual, reactions came quickly — some rushed to compare the data with previous years and draw conclusions about the pulp market.
Port inventories mean very little if you don’t account for consumption levels. The right comparison is between stock data (Europulp) and consumption reports (Utipulp). Only then do inventories gain meaning.
When we look at both sides together, the picture becomes clearer — and more interesting. In August, port stocks represented roughly 3 days less supply than in the same month of 2023.
