Paper Outlook — Paper Trails Economy

At the Global Outlook Conference sponsored by Pulp & Paper Week, Hohol made a case for coated paper demand in North America "decoupling" from real GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

"I'm not saying it is definitely going to happen, but there are warning lights flashing that it could happen. The evidence is not conclusive," the industry analyst notes. "This (decoupling) has already happened with newsprint, and I believe it also has happened—or is in the process of occurring—with uncoated freesheet. There have been four consecutive years of demand decline in the uncoated freesheet market.