The German pulp and paper industry recorded a significant decline in production and sales last year. According to the According to the industry association „Die Papierindustrie“, sales will continue to decline in the first quarter of 2024, while the costs for pulp and waste paper will rise.
The German pulp and paper industry suffered a significant decline in production and sales last year. According to the association „The Paper Industry The race to catch up after the coronavirus years has been halted. The key figures for the industry are worse than they have been for a long time. Production fell by around 14 per cent to 18.6 million tonnes in 2023. It thus fell to the lowest value in the past 20 years. Turnover even fell by 27 per cent to 15.5 billion euros.
In the first quarter of 2024, the Sales continue to decline at -14.1 per cent; This development is offset by rising costs for pulp and waste paper.
„Paper is an early economic indicator. The Declines in the two main types of printing and packaging clearly show the current economic weakness of Germany as a business location. Where there is less production, there is less packaging and less advertising. Rising raw material costs are making our business even more difficult. The aim of all political endeavours must therefore be to make investment in the location more attractive again and to improve the economic framework conditions for energy-intensive industries, for example by reducing grid fees.“
Hans-Christoph Gallenkamp, President of „Die Papierindustrie“ and CEO of speciality paper manufacturer Felix Schoeller from Osnabrück.
From now on the current performance report of the German pulp and paper industry „Paper 2024“ is available for download. With this comprehensive set of figures, the industry creates transparency about its performance, its economic situation and its environmental and socio-political parameters.
Source: Die Papierindustrie e.V.
