<B>Canadian Pulp Production, Shipment Slips</B>

Canadian market pulp production dipped 2 percent for September to 741,000 metric tons as Canadian pulp mills operated at 94 percent of capacity. The operating rate the same time last year was 98 percent of capacity.

For the first nine months of the year Canadian pulp mills operated at 97 percent of capacity, with total production at 6.950 million tons, a five percent increase from figures the same time last year.

The shipment of Canadian market pulp also dipped for the month, according to the Pulp and Paper Products Council. September's shipment total stands at 770,000 metric tons, a 7 percent drop from last September. For the first nine months, however, shipments increased by 3 percent to 6.956 million metric tons.

While total shipments declined, various end regions posted mixed signals. Shipments to the United States dropped 6 percent to 246,000 metric tons; and shipments outside North America, Western Europe and Japan dropped a steep 45 percent for the month.

For the first nine months of the year shipments of Canadian market pulp to domestic sources dropped by 6 percent to 604,000 metric tons; shipments to the United States increased by 7 percent; shipments to Western Europe climbed 9 percent; shipments to Japan also moved up nine percent; and shipments to other regions dropped 10 percent.