Output rose for the third successive quarter, and the total of 22.8m tonnes a 4% rise from the same time last year was the highest ever recorded in a single quarter. UK production was static at 1.57m tonnes.

While the industry has enjoyed two healthy quarters of output in 2002, individual sectors such as newsprint, where output has fallen 9.3% over the two periods, have not fared so well.

A CEPI spokeswoman said the trend was likely to continue as current market conditions, such as low advertising spend, persisted.

Output of uncoated woodfree grades rose 10% to 2.6m tonnes, while coated woodfree production was up 9.1% to 2.3m tonnes.

Packaging producers also increased their output by 6.1% to a record 9.3m tonnes.

Graphic grades output rose 3.2% to 11.1m tonnes, while coated mechanical grades recovered from their fall in the first quarter to rise 4.4% to 2m tonnes against the second period last year.

The only grade to decline was newsprint, down 6.8% to 2.5m tonnes. This was a reflection of the fall in advertising levels and subsequent impact on pagination and production levels.

Total pulp production for the quarter reached 9.3m tonnes, up 3.1% or some 285,000 tonnes.

Story by Andy Scott