Moscow. Apr 27, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. U.S. printing-writing paper shipments decreased 21.9% in March compared to March 2008. For the year to date, shipments were down 24.0%. U.S. purchases (shipments + imports – exports) of printing-writing papers dropped 22.8% in March versus year-ago and declined 24.1% for the year to date. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels decreased 37,100 tons, or 1.6%, from February, as American Forest & Paper Association informed Lesprom Network.

Contraction of uncoated free sheet (UFS) shipments were down 8.7% compared to March 2008, to 850,200 tons. In January, UFS shipments were down 19.6%, followed by a decline of 19.3% in February. Because of the earlier strong declines, for the year to date UFS shipments were 16.0% below last year. U.S. purchases of UFS were also down, declining 7.9% when compared to March 2008, as imports again exceeded exports. UFS inventories decreased 2.9% compared to last month, a decline of 32,300 tons.

Coated free sheet (CFS) shipments dropped by 31.7% compared to March 2008, to 286,200 tons. For the year to date, shipments of CFS were down 27.8%. U.S. purchases of CFS decreased 31.1% compared to last March and were off 27.3% for the year to date. CFS inventories decreased 1.8% compared to February, a decline of 11,500 tons.

Coated mechanical (CM) shipments fell 39.5% when compared to March 2008, settling in at 248,100 tons. Year to date shipments of CM were down 37.0% compared to last year. U.S. purchases of CM were down 39.8% compared to March 2008, and for the year to date were down 35.4%. CM inventories increased 3.2%, or 9,500 tons, from last month.

Uncoated mechanical (UM) shipments decline for seventh consecutive month after reaching all-time high in July 2008. UM shipments decreased 27.5% when compared to March 2008, to 135,200 tons, and for the year to date were down 30.6%. After hitting an all time high in July 2008, UM shipments increased compared to the prior year just one more time in August before the current pattern of decline began. U.S. purchases of UM were down 26.4% when compared to March 2008 and were down 26.0% for the year to date. UM inventories increased 13.4%, or 13,200 tons, from February.