Pulp & Paper Mills Industry Profile

Companies in this industry primarily manufacture pulp, paper, and paperboard. Major US companies include Clearwater Paper, Verso, WestRock, and units of integrated manufacturers Georgia-Pacific and International Paper; major companies based outside the US include Nine Dragons Paper (China), Nippon Paper (Japan), Smurfit Kappa (Ireland), and Stora Enso (Finland).

The global production of paper and cardboard totals about 400 million metric tons annually despite the increased usage of various digital platforms, according to Statista.

The US pulp, paper, and paperboard mill industry includes about 370 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $80 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand depends on both consumer and business use of paper products. The profitability of individual companies depends largely on production efficiency. Mills owned by large paper companies have advantages by being vertically integrated; the parent corporation may own timber farms, sawmills, pulp and paper mills, conversion plants, and other end-product manufacturing facilities. Small mills can compete successfully in regional markets, in close proximity to timber sources or customers. The US industry is highly concentrated: the top 50 companies account for about 95% of revenue.

Imports of pulp and paper mill products account for about 15% of the US market. Canada is the largest source of imports. Exports, chiefly to Canada, Mexico, China, and Japan, account for about 20% of US production.

Canada is also the largest supplier of imported logs, a key ...