U.S. pulp and paper industry - statistics & facts

Most produced paper products in the U.S.

The U.S. pulp and paper industry is responsible for manufacturing numerous products, but packaging types like carton board are by far the most produced paper products. The production of packaging paper and paperboard in the U.S. has increased massively since the 1960s, with approximately 50 million metric tons produced annually. Annual production quantities of household and sanitary papers have also increased in recent decades, rising by nearly 40 percent compared with 1990 levels. In 2020, the production of household and sanitary papers increased by more than four percent, which was the largest annual growth since 1993. This was mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased demand for sanitary products. While these products have experienced substantial demand growth over the decades, the transition towards digitalization has caused the production of graphic papers like newsprint and writing papers to plummet since the turn of the century.

Leading U.S. paper companies

Several of the world’s largest paper companies are based in the U.S., including International Paper. International Paper generated revenue of 20.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, with much of this coming from its industrial packaging segment. International Paper had a 31 percent share of the North American containerboard market in 2019. Other leading companies in the U.S. paper industry include Cascades, WestRock, and Georgia-Pacific.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.