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

The paper and pulp industry is one of the largest industries in the world, and the United States plays a major role in it. The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of pulp for paper, and was the second largest consumer of paper and paperboard worldwide as of 2020, having used some 64 million metric tons worth. In 2021, the U.S. pulp and paper market was valued at almost 60 billion U.S. dollars, which accounted for almost 20 percent of the global paper and pulp industry market size.

How much paper and pulp does the U.S. produce?

The production of pulp for paper in the U.S. fell by roughly two percent in 2020, to 50 million metric tons. The amount of pulp for paper produced in the U.S. has been in decline since the early 1990s, when production reached a high of 65 million metric tons. This decline has coincided with the decrease in paper and paperboard production, which fell 25 percent between 1999 and 2020 to 66 million metric tons. Despite these reductions, the U.S. was one of the largest paper-producing countries in the world in 2020, second only to China, which surpassed the U.S. as the top producer in the late 2000s.

Paper products in the U.S.

The U.S. paper industry produces a wide range of paper and paperboard grades, but packaging types are the most produced, by weight. In 2020, case materials accounted for more than half of U.S. paper and paperboard production. Case materials, or containerboard, is a type of paperboard used in the production of corrugated boards and has experienced growing demand in recent years. In contrast, the production of graphic papers such as newsprint and printing and writing papers has plummeted more than 70 percent since 2000 due to increased digitalization.

Leading U.S. paper companies

The U.S. is home to some of the largest paper companies in the world, such as Kimberly-Clark, WestRock, Georgia-Pacific, and International Paper. International Paper is a leading paper packaging producer and reported revenue of almost 20 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. That year it accounted for 32 percent of the North American containerboard market. In October 2021, International Paper completed the spin-off of its printing papers business into a standalone company - Sylvamo. Sylvamo is a global producer of uncoated freesheet (UFS), accounting for 28 percent of the North America UFS market. Other major companies in the U.S. paper industry include Domtar, Packaging Corporation of America, and Graphic Paper International.

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.

North America share of global paper and paperboard production: 18.4%

Leading pulp for paper producer: United States

U.S. pulp and paper market size: 59.54bn USD

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Total production of paper and paperboard in the United States from 1961 to 2021 (in million metric tons)

Forestry

Production of paper and board in the U.S. 1961-2021

Total consumption of paper and paperboard in the United States from 2000 to 2021 (in million metric tons)

Pulp & Paper

Consumption of paper and paperboard in the U.S. 2000-2021

Packaging

Paperboard and packaging paper production in the U.S. 1961-2021

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Overview

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Trade

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Production and consumption

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Segments

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Companies

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Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Pulp and paper industry in the United States" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

U.S. pulp for paper production
48.6 Mt
Detailed statistics
Pulp for paper production in the United States 1961-2021
U.S. paper and paperboard production
67.5 Mt
Detailed statistics
Production of paper and board in the U.S. 1961-2021
Change in U.S. paper and paperboard consumption since 2000
-30%
Detailed statistics
Consumption of paper and paperboard in the U.S. 2000-2021

Most produced paper and paperboard type in the U.S.
Case materials
Detailed statistics
Breakdown of paper and paperboard produced in the United States 2021, by type
U.S. case materials production
36.2 Mt
Detailed statistics
Case materials production in the United States 2000-2021
Change in U.S. graphics papers production since 2000
-72%
Detailed statistics
Graphic papers production in the U.S. 1961-2021

U.S. wood pulp exports
7.6 Mt
Detailed statistics
Imports and exports of wood pulp in the U.S. 1990-2021
U.S. paper and paperboard exports
10.1 Mt
Detailed statistics
Imports and exports of paper and paperboard in the U.S. 1990-2021
U.S. shipments of corrugated packaging
416bn sq. ft
Detailed statistics
U.S. corrugated packaging shipments 1995-2026

International Paper revenue
21.16bn USD
Detailed statistics
U.S. leading forestry and paper companies based on revenue 2022
WestRock's share of North America containerboard production
22%
Detailed statistics
Market share of containerboard producers in North America 2021
Domtar's share of North America uncoated freesheet production
35%
Detailed statistics
Uncoated freesheet production shares in North America 2021, by company