H1 slump in Europe mainly reflected weak publication paper market

摘要

European demand for graphic papers weakened noticeably towards the end of the second quarter of this year. The volume of purchases slumped by 8.1% (–236,000 tonnes) in June when compared with the level of a year earlier. The drop represented the 13th consecutive month of decline and led to the highest rate of contraction on a year-to-date basis since the downturn in 2009. The fall of 5.9% equated to a decrease in demand of over one million tonnes through the first half of 2012.