Q3 Paper Outlook — Waiting for the Rebound

Production Is Lagging

Overall, U.S. paper production declined by 5.8 percent in 2001 after already falling 2.5 percent in 2000, and printing and writing paper prices continued to decline in 2001.

While many agree that paper prices have finally hit rock bottom, Roy Grossman, president of Sandy Alexander in Clifton, NJ, isn't so sure. "Last year at this time, we thought we had certainly hit bottom. Here we are a year later with a new floor, so who knows."