The Role and Value of Innovation in the Pulp and Paper Industry, 2006 Engineering, Pulping, and Environmental Conference

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The pulp and paper industry has experienced dramatic changes during the past several decades with large variations in regional market shares of production capacity and consumption pattern. Based on the data collected from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, this paper explores regional consumption and market share trend in Asia, Europe, North American Free Trade Agreement Area, and South America. The analysis demonstrates that world paper consumption continues to increase but that there have been significant regional differences in aggregate and per capita growth rates. Moreover, this study presents estimates of the sensitivity of regional per capita consumption to changes in gross domestic product. Among the findings, in virtually all product categories, the United States has lost market share to Asia. In addition, at comparable income levels, per capita consumption in the United States reflects a structural increase for all except printing/writing paper product categories. And across all product categories, per capita consumption in the NAFTA area is least sensitive to income changes.