Eastern Europe

Printing and writing paper production was estimated to be 7% up on 2003 at 2.8 million tonnes and demand 8% up at 4.3 million tonnes. Imports increased by 18% to over 2 million tonnes.

Newsprint demand rose to 1.7 million tonnes in 2004, 18% more than a year earlier, and imports grew to 0.6 million tonnes.

Asia

Printing and writing paper production was estimated to grow by 5%, driven mainly by growth in China. Capacity in China has been increasing rapidly and at an accelerating pace, and over two million tonnes of new capacity are expected to start up in the next two years.

Regional demand for printing and writing paper rose 5% in 2004 to approximately 32 million tonnes. Demand for newsprint was over 11 million tonnes, 4% higher than in 2003. Imports were 2.5 million tonnes.

Asian demand for cartonboard was estimated to be 13 million tonnes, up by 6%.

South America

Printing and writing paper production was 5% up on 2003 at 4.1 million tonnes. Newsprint demand was 1.7 million tonnes, 4% higher than in 2003. Latin American production totalled 0.7 million tonnes and imports 0.9 million tonnes.