Cepi, the European paper and board industry association, released Preliminary Statistics for 2025, noting a 1.5% fall in production across Cepi member countries to 77.6 million tonnes, after a rebound in 2024 (+5.9%) and sharp declines in 2023 (-12.9% and -18.2% since 2021). The downturn is attributed to macroeconomic headwinds, destocking, high energy and manufacturing costs, and rising regulatory burdens, geopolitical challenges, and trade tensions. While packaging grades held roughly stable, graphic grades contracted, and overall newspaper/magazine recycling fell sharply. Global production is estimated to be roughly flat (-0.3%) versus 2024, with notable regional differences (Brazil +0.1%, China +2.9%; US, Japan, Canada, South Korea down). EU economic growth stood at 1.1% in 2025 and is forecast to reach 1.5% in 2026.
The report highlights a 1.3% drop in paper recycling in Cepi countries, with old newspapers down 16% and corrugated/kraft products up 1.7%. Cepi states exports fell 4.4% by September 2025, while imports declined about 4.3% in the first nine months of 2025. Deloitte provided a limited assurance statement on data quality, and Cepi notes two annual reports are available on its website. For more information, Cepi’s Statistics team can be contacted at Cepi.
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