France's Paper Industry Feels The Pinch Due To Market Weakness

摘要

After two years of growth, the French paper industry faced the toll of the global economic developments last year and booked downturns in most areas. In its review of 2008, the French paper industry association COPACEL reported a 4.2% drop in production and a 4.0% reduction in apparent consumption of all paper and board grades as a result of widespread production cutbacks and falling demand for paper. Initial estimates indicated that the entire French paper industry registered a 4.5% fall in full-year sales to E∪D5.9bn. Although profit figures were not yet available, the association anticipated a noticeable impact from dwindling sales prices. On a positive note, COPACEL stated that production costs tumbled again on average in the second half of the year.